Kommunikation und Kooperation in Virtuellen Teams

This paper reflects on characteristics of virtual teams as well as potentials and challenges of this coopewration form. A crucial aspect of computer-mediated cooperation is the interplay of technical, social, as well as organizational factors. Therefore, Janneck’s (Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Web Information Systems (S. 521–526), Lisboa, INSTICC Press, 2009) Multidimensional Model of Computer-Mediated Communication, which makes a clear distinction between social and technical factors influencing computer-mediated communication, is presented in more detail.     

Marital Status and Reproductive Performance in Kipsigis Women: Re-evaluating the Polygyny-Fertility Hypothesis

The effects of marital status on fertility and offspring survivorship are examined with data on six marriage cohorts of Kipsigis women, agro-pastoralists of south western Kenya. Neither marriage order, nor the average number of co-wives married to a man during a woman's reproductive years, is associated with completed family size, nor with any of the components of reproductive performance. The mechanisms whereby polygyny might potentially lower the reproductive performance of polygynously married women in the Kipsigis and other populations are discussed in some detail, with particular reference to resource shortages, sexual and economic favouritism, the observance of post partum taboos, disease, husband's age, co-wife co-operation, education, sterility, and age at menarche and marriage.     

Kompetenz- und karrieref?rderliches Führungsverhalten: Zum Stand der Forschung

The direct manager which has close contact with his employees is suited to challenge and support them according to their interests and abilities. This paper provides a summary of the empirical literature about the meaning and mechanism of different leadership behaviors influencing employees?? competencies and career advancement. The leader??s behaviors are divided in two ways of support. The direct contact (feedback, training measures, promotion, trust and expectations, objectives?? management, social support, role model behavior) and support by providing competence and career enhancing tasks and job design (delegation of challenging tasks, job control, person-job-fit). Thereby a particular focus is placed upon gender-specific outcomes. Based on the actual research findings, additional recommendations for the career enhancement in practice and for future research are provided.     

Predicting psychological ripple effects: the role of cultural identity, in-group/out-group identification, and attributions of blame in crisis communication

Incidents of intentional food contamination can produce ripple effects in consumers such as reduced trust and increased anxiety. In their postcrisis communication, food companies often direct the blame at the perpetrator in an effort to mitigate potential losses and regain consumer trust. The attempt to placate consumers may, in itself, potentially create psychological ripple effects in message readers. This study examined the interacting influence of two message characteristics: identity of the perpetrator of the crime (in-group/out-group membership), and the attribution of blame (reason why the perpetrator committed the crime), with message receiver characteristic (cultural identity) on psychological ripple effects such as blame, trust, anxiety, and future purchase intention. Results indicated that although group membership of the perpetrator was not significant in predicting outcomes for the organization, the attribution communicated in the message was. American message receivers blamed the organization more and trusted it less when personal dispositional attributions were made about the perpetrator. Asian message receivers blamed the organization more and trusted it less when situational attributions were made about the perpetrator. Lowered trust in the company and increased anxiety correlated with lower purchase intent for both American and Asian message receivers. Implications for crisis message design are discussed.     

Within-Animal Variation as an Indication of the Minimal Magnitude of the Critical Effect Size for Continuous Toxicological Parameters Applicable in the Benchmark Dose Approach

In this study, the within-animal variation in routinely studied continuous toxicological parameters was estimated from temporal fluctuations in individual healthy nonexposed animals. Assuming that these fluctuations are nonadverse, this within-animal variation may be indicative of the minimal magnitude of the critical effect size (CES). The CES is defined as the breaking point between adverse and nonadverse changes in a continuous toxicological parameter, at the level of the individual organism. The total variation in the data from individual nonexposed animals was divided in variation parts due to known factors (differences in sex, animal, and day) and a residual variation, by means of analysis of variance. Using the residual variation and the estimated analytical measurement error of a toxicological parameter, the within-animal variation can be estimated. The data showed within-animal variations ranging between 0.6% and 34% for different clinical chemistry and hematological parameters in 90-day rat studies. This indicates that different (minimal) CES values may be applicable for different parameters.     

Effects of community violence exposure and parental mental health on the internalizing problems of urban adolescents

Previous research has documented an association between adolescent community violence exposure (CVE) and poor psychological functioning. The purpose of this study is to delineate the relations of CVE, parental mental health, and adolescent PTSD and depression. Participants consisted of 121 pairs of junior high and high school students and their parents. Adolescents completed measures to assess their history of violence exposure and current psychological functioning. Parents completed a demographic questionnaire and measures assessing their psychological functioning. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted, and results indicated that, after controlling for demographic variables and family violence exposure, parental mental health emerged as a moderating variable in the relation between CVE and adolescent-rated PTSD, but not in the association between adolescent CVE and depression. Clinical implications of this study and directions for future research are discussed.     

Doctors doing drugs and drinking

Meet Dr. Kevin, Dr. Bob and Dr. Robert, three physicians whose behavior problems included doing drugs or drinking. All three got sober, but their struggles with substance abuse still haunt them today.