Volunteer Reliability in Nonprofit Organizations: A Theoretical Model

The reliability of volunteers is a major concern for many nonprofit organizations. To address this problem in more detail, we develop a theoretical model of volunteer reliability based on psychological contract theory. By taking this perspective as a starting point, we explore how individual volunteer characteristics, organizational factors, and sociological developments shape the exchange of inducements and contributions between volunteers and nonprofit organizations. We discuss how these factors can create tensions in the psychological contract and determine the extent to which volunteers behave reliably. As such, we develop a theoretical framework for addressing the reliability problem in volunteer management.     

An overlook on statistical inference issues for stochastic damping hamiltonian systems under the fluctuation-dissipation condition

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we are interested in nonparametric inference issues for stochastic damping hamiltonian systems under the fluctuation-dissipation condition. This condition relates the magnitude of the dissipative term and the magnitude of the random term. The precise balance between the drift term which removes energy in average and the stochastic term provided by the fluctuation-dissipation relation insures that the canonical measure is preserved by the dynamics. In this framework, it is possible to give an explicit construction of a Lyapunov function and thus to prove exponential ergodicity. Then, we consider various estimation procedures and provide also a numerical section, where simulations are conducted.     

The Distribution of Returns to Education for People with Disabilities

This article takes a first look at the distribution of returns to education for people with disabilities, a particularly disadvantaged group whose labor market performances have not been well studied or documented. Using a nonparametric approach, we uncover significant heterogeneity in the returns to education for these workers, which is drastically masked by conventional parametric methods. Based on these estimates, we construct the Sharpe ratio of human capital investment (taking into account its substantial risk), and our results corroborate the claimed importance of human capital in improving these workers’ wages. Our stochastic dominance tests show that the returns to education for workers with disabilities, as a group, may have been affected more adversely in the most recent recession, relative to their non-disabled counterparts.     

Psychological Mediators of the Sport Injury—Perceived Risk Relationship

Drawing upon both heuristic‐ and threat‐based approaches, we sought to examine whether perceived similarity with injury‐prone people and perceived control over injury occurrence would directly contribute to perceived risk and whether these variables would mediate the previous injury–perceived risk relationship. Judokas (n = 207) reported the number of injuries experienced in the past year and then completed measures of perceived similarity, perceived control, and injury risk perception. Analyses revealed that perceived similarity and perceived control directly contributed to perceived risk of injury; only perceived similarity acted as a partial mediator of the injury–perceived risk relationship. These findings are discussed in relation to the potential influence of the sport context, which universally involves the acceptance of a high risk of injury.     

Percentile Related Bounds and Estimator for the Mean of the Negative Binomial Distribution

Upper and lower bounds are obtained for the mean of the negative binomial distribution. These bounds are simple functions of a percentile determined by the shape parameter. The result is then used to obtain a robust estimate of the mean when the shape parameter is known.     

The application of a performance management system in hospitals: A hypothetical example

Abstract

The central theme of this article is performance management, defined as activities of organizations aimed at an effective and efficient use of their human resources. The organization focused on in particular is the hospital. Three principles taken from motivation theory are dealt with which are basic to performance management: goal setting, feedback and reinforcement. Next, a recently developed procedure (Pritchard 1990, Pritchard et al. 1988, 1989) for the design of performance management systems is described. This procedure, ProMES: Productivity Measurement and Enhancement Systems, is explained using a team of ward nurses as a hypothetical example. In addition to the nursing wards example, other potential applications of the ProMES technique to several hospitals areas are mentioned. Finally, some conditions that should be fulfilled in order to successfully start a ProMES project are discussed.     

The recruitment and selection of hospital medical consultants

Abstract

The literature on selection has been dominated in recent decades by the ‘prediction’ paradigm. Such an approach requires a substantial number of positions to be filled in order to compute validity coefficients. There are other approaches, using a different paradigm, when concentrated on adjusting the organization and the employee. Here careful analysis of job demands is essential. This article describes such an analysis, taking the medical consultant as an example. The method can be used in an iterative way. It is useful when one has to work with small numbers of positions.     

Further Beyond the Basic Background Check: Predicting Future Unethical Behavior

In this paper, we analyze the ethical issues of using honesty and integrity tests in employment screening. Our focus will be on the United States context: legal requirements related to applicant privacy differ in other countries, but we posit that our proposed balancing test is broadly applicable. We start by discussing why companies have ethical and legal obligations, based on a stakeholder analysis, to assess the integrity of potential employees. We then move to a consideration of how companies currently use background checks as a pre‐employment screening tool, noting their limitations. We then take up honesty and integrity testing, focusing particularly on the problems of false positives and due process. We offer a balancing test for the use of honesty and integrity testing that takes in three factors: (1) the potential harm posed by a dishonest employee in a particular job, (2) the linkage between the test and the assessment process, and (3) the accuracy and validity of the honesty and integrity test. We conclude with implications for practice and future research.     

基于人体膳食均衡视角下的我国果蔬消费趋势预测与结构优化

水果和蔬菜是为人体提供矿物质、维生素、膳食纤维等营养元素的重要农产品,我国居民饮食中普遍存在着能量相对过剩、果蔬摄入量不足的问题。以人体膳食均衡为研究视角,研究我国果蔬消费趋势和结构优化问题,结果表明：按照当前的消费趋势发展,我国居民营养摄入不足与过剩同在的问题依然无法得到解决;我国政府在制定水果和蔬菜战略布局的决策中,应综合考虑人体的膳食营养均衡和未来市场营养需求,以实现我国果蔬产业布局优化;消费者在进行水果和蔬菜消费购买行为时,应在营养膳食均衡的基础上进行合理消费。     

从欧盟"被遗忘权"看网络治理规则的选择

1995年以来,欧盟不断加强对个人数据的保护力度,被遗忘权由此成为欧盟个人数据保护立法上的一个重要概念,历经三个阶段,日趋受到合理限制.在国际上,各国在被遗忘权问题上,存在一般被遗忘权和特殊被遗忘权的立法分野,前者以欧盟最为典型,后者包括美国等国家.鉴于被遗忘权在实践层面并不能产生实质性效果,反倒给互联网产业创新发展带来负担,且既有规范体系已经足够为个人数据和隐私提供充分保护,因此我国未来在制定相关立法时,没必要引入甚至扩大被遗忘权,反而应当从数据最小化、 通过设计保护隐私等层面做出努力,并且应当积极参与国际网络治理规则的制定.