Work-related and individual determinants of the three burnout dimensions

Applying the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory as a framework, this study among Dutch nurses (n=156) first tested whether work-related demands, resources and self-esteem were differentially associated with the three burnout dimensions (emotional exhaustion, personal accomplishment and depersonalization), respectively. In addition, the current study investigated the interrelationships between the burnout dimensions and the hypothesized moderating effect of self-esteem. As expected, emotional exhaustion was primarily associated with job demands (i.e. work overload) and-to a slightly lower extent-with resources such as social support and self-esteem. In contrast, but also according to the authors' predictions, depersonalization and personal accomplishment were not associated with job demands. Emotional exhaustion was, as predicted, an important correlate of depersonalization, whereas reduced personal accomplishment was negatively associated with self-esteem and with quality of work content, a resource. In line with earlier findings but contrary to some recent propositions, reduced personal accomplishment was positively associated with depersonalization. Finally, self-esteem did not moderate the relationships between the selected work factors and the burnout dimensions. The limitations of the study are discussed and directions for future research are proposed.     

Uniformly best estimation in linear regression when prior information is fuzzy

Modeling prior information as a fuzzy set and using Zadeh’s extension principle, a general approach is presented how to rate linear affine estimators in linear regression. This general approach is applied to fuzzy prior information sets given by ellipsoidal α-cuts. Here, in an important and meaningful subclass, a uniformly best linear affine estimator can be determined explicitly. Surprisingly, such a uniformly best linear affine estimator is optimal with respect to a corresponding relative squared error approach. Two illustrative special cases are discussed, where a generalized least squares estimator on the one hand and a general ridge or Kuks–Olman estimator on the other hand turn out to be uniformly best.     

Tree-structured generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedastic models

We propose a new generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedastic (GARCH) model with tree-structured multiple thresholds for the estimation of volatility in financial time series. The approach relies on the idea of a binary tree where every terminal node parameterizes a (local) GARCH model for a partition cell of the predictor space. The fitting of such trees is constructed within the likelihood framework for non-Gaussian observations: it is very different from the well-known regression tree procedure which is based on residual sums of squares. Our strategy includes the classical GARCH model as a special case and allows us to increase model complexity in a systematic and flexible way. We derive a consistency result and conclude from simulation and real data analysis that the new method has better predictive potential than other approaches.     

Orientalism as Cultural Practices and the Production of Sociological Knowledge

Since the 1990s, sociologists and others have increasingly used the term orientalism to refer commonly to ethnocentrism, Eurocentrism, prejudicial stereotyping, and cultural misrepresentations of non-'western' societies, particularly those influenced by Islamic knowledge and practices. I chart how theorist Edward Said has helped initiate the sociology of orientalism by emphasizing the relationship of orientalism as a set of cultural practice and discourse to modern empires and global imperialism. I discuss the prominent clusters of studies published in English in the sociology of orientalism: (i) cultural representations and (ii) cultural regulation and social-identity formation. I argue that these studies have examined the ways orientalisms have deployed signifying practices of abstraction, difference, and desire in constructing problematic images and social relations. Furthermore, I contend that sociology as an intellectual endeavor still needs to confront seriously the issues raised by critics of orientalisms.     

Editor's Note

Each Fall issue of Public Opinion Quarterly     

Evaluation of a weighted multiple comparison procedure

We consider the problem of accounting for multiplicity for two correlated endpoints in the comparison of two treatments using weighted hypothesis tests. Various weighted testing procedures are reviewed, and a more powerful method (a variant of the weighted Simes test) is evaluated for the general bivariate normal case and for a particular clinical trial example. Results from these evaluations are summarized and indicate that the weighted methods perform in a manner similar to unweighted methods. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A profile of childminding: implications for planning

After friends and relatives, childminders are the most common form of child care. This paper reports the results from a postal survey of a nationally representative sample of over 1,000 childminders. Results are reported concerning childminders' training and employment histories, working conditions, motivation, commitment and satisfaction with their work. Two groups of childminders emerge; a group where childminding may be a passing phase in their employment career and a group who consider it as a long‐term career. The findings are discussed with reference to the aims of the National Childcare Strategy and the role of Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Behavioral complexity in leadership: The psychometric properties of a new instrument to measure behavioral repertoire

Research in managerial and executive leadership recognizes the importance of behavioral complexity, particularly for addressing the competing demands and roles expected of managerial leaders. Though some empirical research on behavioral complexity exists, further progress requires a more rigorous instrument to measure behavioral repertoire. We design an elaborated, multi-dimensional instrument based on the Competing Values Framework (CVF). To examine the underlying conceptual structure and remove measurement error, we test this second-order measurement model using structural equation modeling (SEM). We also test the spatial relationship of the factors using a Bayesian circumplex model. Our data largely support the theoretical structure and stringent demands of the CVF model as applied to this instrument. Finally, we test the instrument's ability to predict managerial effectiveness and find that higher overall ability is correlated with greater overall performance. With this new instrument, we suggest the modification and addition of roles associated with the CVF model.     

Refugees: On the Economics of Political Migration

Unless literally forced to leave, prospective refugees have a choice between staying and flight, subject to constraints, particularly the willingness of a country to grant asylum. Although all options may be unpleasant, they nonetheless represent alternatives amenable to economic analysis. The incentive to flee is a function of threat severity and credibility, and the attractiveness of available safe havens. The theoretical analysis suggests that restrictive asylum policies have little impact on demand for asylum, except in the interplay with other factors, such as costs of flight and retribution against unsuccessful refugees. While the case of bogus refugees has received much attention in the popular literature, this article shows that threatened individuals may choose emigration instead of flight if there are repercussions associated with refugee status. The article also analyzes the case of bogus refugees.