Proposal for a Dynamic Composite Indicator: Application in a Comparative Analysis of Trends in the EU Member States Towards the Europe 2020 Strategy

This paper contributes, with a dynamic approach, to the research on the creation of comparable composite indicators by presenting a proposal for an exploratory factor analysis protocol to enable a comparative trend analysis. The originality of the study lies in the three dimensions of information for analysis: observations, variables and units of time. The proposal involves various stages of analysis with the ultimate, albeit not exclusive, aim of obtaining what is known as a Global Dynamic Indicator. The analysis process begins by structuring the data into a three-dimensional global matrix, thereby conditioning, while also, and primarily, enriching the later stages. A combination of multiple factor analysis and a clustering technique is the selected approach for successfully meeting the challenges involved. The appropriateness and versatility of the proposal are validated through the analysis of the trends of the EU member states towards the targets set by the 2020 Strategy. The study period runs from 2009 to 2018. The empirical work enables the visualisation and quantification of trend differences and similarities across member states collectively and individually, and across all the variables and years selected for analysis. The relevant findings will be quantified by means of a synthetic indicator for each unit of time and a global indicator for the period as a whole. Some of the conclusions reached by this paper are consistent with those already published by various authors.

     

The Demands-Control-Support model, locus of control and job dissatisfaction: a longitudinal study

The Job-Demands-Control model (Karasek, 1979) has been widely studied in the job stress field, but the results obtained are frequently contradictory. Therefore, some investigations have expanded the model by including social support and personality characteristics such as locus of control. However, results obtained with these elaborated models have not been conclusive either. The present study sets out to integrate both types of expansions by simultaneously including social support at work and the employee's locus of control in a longitudinal multi-national study among 542 administrative personnel from Belgium, England, Spain, Italy and Israel. Hierarchical moderated multiple regression showed a significant 4-way interaction term (Demands ×Control ×Social support ×Locus of control) on the change in job dissatisfaction. This effect is qualified by the interaction between job demands and control only for an internal locus of control with high social support. Contrary to the prediction of the JDC model, which posits that high control has a buffering effect on job dissatisfaction, the study result indicates a damaging effect of excess control (perceived job control and high internal locus of control), specifically in high social support situations.     

Integration of human factors principles in LARG organizations--a conceptual model

Nowadays many companies are undergoing organizational transformations in order to meet the changing market demands. Thus, in order to become more competitive, supply chains (SC) are adopting new management paradigms to improve SC performance: lean, agile, resilient and green (LARG paradigms). The implementation of new production paradigms demands particular care with the issues related with Human Factors to avoid health and safety problems to workers and losses to companies. Thus, the successful introduction of these new production paradigms depends among others on a Human Factors oriented approach. This work presents a conceptual framework that allows integrating ergonomic and safety design principles during the different implementation phases of lean, agile, resilient and green practices.     

A test procedure for detecting super-heavy tails

The aim of this work is to develop a test to distinguish between heavy and super-heavy tailed probability distributions. These classes of distributions are relevant in areas such as telecommunications and insurance risk, among others. By heavy tailed distributions we mean probability distribution functions with polynomially decreasing upper tails (regularly varying tails). The term super-heavy is reserved for right tails decreasing to zero at a slower rate, such as logarithmic, or worse (slowly varying tails). Simulations are presented for several models and an application with telecommunications data is provided.     

From social representations to action: proximity and the relation between social representations of the development of intelligence and authoritative parenting style / De las representaciones sociales a la acción: proximidad y relación entre las representaciones sociales del desarrollo de la inteligencia y un estilo parental democrático

A well-established body of literature holds that the construction of social representations of intelligence is guided by the subjective inexplicability about the target-topic and by the social identities of subjects. Within the general framework of the sociogenesis of social representations, this article aims to explore the role of social positions in organizing an individual’s reported action towards the object of representation. A theoretical model which examines the relations between social representations of the development of intelligence, parental goals and the authoritative parenting style was tested in sub-samples of educators, which included 227 mothers, 117 fathers and 122 mother-teachers. Structural equation modeling procedures indicated, as hypothesized, that specific socio-cognitive dynamics are relevant in shaping the patterns of relations with the object of representation, suggesting that these dynamics are a result of the organization of multiple discourses where content, social positions and behavioural interaction are strongly intertwined. Theoretical contributions of findings are discussed.     

The voice of young people – contribution for their involvement in the school

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this action research project was to gain an understanding of, and to mobilise the voices of diverse young people enrolled in a Portuguese secondary school. A case study methodology, in conjunction with action research methodology, was used for this study. The action research data indicated that projects conceived throughout the study were successful in mobilising the voices of 14 young secondary school students in decision-making processes. The young people engaged democratically, made informed decisions about themselves and their peers, managed conflicts, and reinforced the importance of interpersonal relationships. These changes took place at the individual, as well as group levels.     

Work Matters: Work Personal Projects and the Idiosyncratic Linkages Between Traits,Eudaimonic and Hedonic Well-being

A holistic understanding of relationships between personality and well-being requires knowing the linkages between several levels of personality analysis and different wellbeing varieties, namely hedonic and eudaimonic measures. We explore the moderator effect of work personal projects, a personality variable linked to personal action, on the relations between proactive conscientiousness facets, personality traits, and subjective and psychological well-being. In two cross-sectional studies, a battery of self-report questionnaires was used to assess personality traits, personal projects, subjective and psychological well-being in 398 teachers of primary and high schools. Findings show that work personal projects moderate the relations between competence and deliberation, but not achievement striving, and the three psychological well-being dimensions. However, work personal projects do not have a moderator influence on the relationship between these traits and subjective well-being components. Therefore, work personal projects seem to provide specific and distinct linkages on the relationships between personality trait and these two kinds of well-being. Additionally, findings support the importance of work in adult lives, considered by diverse authors.     

Are the closed landfills recovered habitats for small rodents? A case study in a riparian site,Buenos Aires,Argentina

The establishment of landfills in urban areas leads to extensive disturbances. Their development after landfill closure depends on the characteristics of the soil cover, the surrounding communities and the dispersal of plants and animals. This study was carried out in a landfill closed in 2004, surrounded by an urban area, freshwater marshes and a riparian forest. The aim of this study was to determine the role that the closed landfill may play in maintaining rodent communities typical of this zone and its relation to characteristics of the sites. Four rodent and plant samplings were carried out from December 2005 to September 2006 at five sites inside the landfill: three filled cells and two areas of the riparian margin. We recorded a total of 433 individual rodents. The rodent community of the closed landfill included species typical of rural, riparian and rural habitats: Akodon azarae (358), Oligoryzomys flavescens (32), Deltamys kempi (14), Rattus rattus (14), Cavia aperea (11) and Scapteromys aquaticus (4). Rodent species composition varied among sites, but A. azarae was usually the dominant species. We found a rich rodent community mostly composed of wild species. The relictual riparian margin may have served as a major refuge for native rodent community while the landfill was in operation, and after closure it possibly acted as a source for some species to colonize the covered cells.     

FDI and Technology as Levering Factors of Competitiveness in Developing Countries

Technology creation and absorption are two relevant processes that affect the role that multinational enterprises (MNE) may play in the competitiveness improvement of the developing economies. The importance of internal factors in local contexts, the increasing integration in the industrial international value chain and the access of firms from these countries to diverse external learning sources, constitute a suitable framework for the analysis of competitiveness shift. In this paper, we study how the integration of firms from developing countries in sophisticated high-tech markets can be defined by the combined action of MNE and the ability for technology absorption and creation. Our empirical analysis with panel data shows how the different dimensions of internal and external factors affect international competitiveness in high-tech industries.