The Role of Trust and Contractual Safeguards on Cooperation in Non-equity Alliances

Because partners may behave opportunistically in alliances, contractual safeguards or trust between partners are necessary for successful outcomes. However, it remains controversial whether safeguards and trust substitute or complement each other. Drawing on transaction cost theory, this study conceptualizes both contractual safeguards and trust as important control mechanisms in non-equity alliances, and develops a model that relates contractual safeguards and trust to cooperative outcomes. We test our hypotheses with data collected from 233 architect-contractor partnerships in Hong Kong. The results show that the relationship between contractual safeguards and cooperative outcomes depends on both the level and type of trust.     

The Scientific Visualization of Organizations: A Rationale for a New Approach to Organizational Modeling*

This article examines the rationale for the application of a new research tool, scientific visualization, to the study of organizations. Based upon a general theory of visualization, the ability to simultaneously display both variables and organizational entities should allow for easier and more widespread analysis of organizational research issues. Applications and future directions for both research and praxis are discussed.     

Consistency of Bayes estimators without the assumption that the model is correct

We examine a more general form of consistency which does not necessarily rely on the correct specification of the likelihood in the Bayesian setting, but we restrict the form of the likelihood to be in a minimal standard exponential family. First, we investigate the asymptotic behavior of the Bayes estimator of a parameter, and show that the Bayes estimator is consistent under the condition that the exponential family is full. However, we find that θ_i=θ_j and ∥θ_i−θ_j∥<ε, even for very small ε, behave differently, even in an asymptotic manner, when the model is not correct. We note that the distinction applies generally to Bayesian testing problems.     

Alcohol education provided to opioid treatment program patients: results of a nationwide survey

Alcohol-related problems are especially common among opioid treatment program (OTP) patients, suggesting that educating OTP patients about alcohol and its harmful effects needs to be a priority in OTPs. Using data collected in interviews with a nationwide U.S. sample of OTP directors (N = 200) in 25 states, we identified factors that differentiate OTPs that provided this education to all OTP patients from those that did not. Findings indicate that these factors include (1) providing this education in a greater variety of ways, (2) having a larger percent of staff knowledgeable about alcohol-related issues, (3) having a director who views alcohol issues as a high priority, and (4) having a written OTP policy.     

The Skinny on Success: Body Mass, Gender and Occupational Standing Across the Life Course

Several studies have analyzed the impact of obesity on occupational standing. This study extends previous research by estimating the influence of body mass on occupational attainment over three decades of the career using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. In a series of covariance structure analyses, we considered three mechanisms that may alter the career trajectories of heavy individuals: (1. employment-based discrimination, (2. educational attainment, and (3. marriage market processes. Unlike previous studies, we found limited evidence that employment-based discrimination impaired the career trajectories of either men or women. Instead, we found that heavy women received less post-secondary schooling than their thinner peers, which in turn adversely affected their occupational standing at each point in their careers.     

Employee experiences with volunteers

Volunteers frequently serve public and nonprofit organizations, among them libraries, parks and recreation departments, social service groups, and religious organizations. Research on volunteers and volunteerism traditionally focuses on antecedents to volunteering and outcomes for volunteers. In this study, we attempt to build on the existing literature by examining the volunteer experience from the paid employee's vantage point. Using a sample of employees who work alongside volunteers in animal care organizations (N = 270), we examine how employees described the volunteers with whom they interact. Although these assessments were generally positive, there was considerable variability. This appears to be explained, in part, by each organization's volunteer resources management practices. Results also indicate that employees who reported less satisfactory experiences with volunteers also reported being more stressed, overworked, and less committed to the organization, and having a greater intention to quit. Importantly, these results held up even after controlling for general job satisfaction. Implications of these findings for theory and practice are discussed.     

Understanding caregiving patterns, motivations, and resource needs of subsidized family, friend, and neighbor child care providers

Family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) caregivers play important roles in delivering subsidized noncustodial child care. Yet, little is known about these noncustodial caregivers. This article profiles the caregiving experiences, motivations, and resource needs of these providers, based on a survey of 301 randomly selected FFN providers in one state. Kecommendations are offered for strengthening public supports to enhance the quality of this form of caregiving.