Marcelline Fusilier

Occupational stress, social support, and the costs of health care.

Relationships among health care costs, social support, and occupational stress are investigated. Health care cost data were collected over two years for 260 working individuals. Multiple regression analyses were used to control for initial health care costs, age, and gender in predicting later costs; independent variables were stress, strain, social support, and their interactions. Main effects and interactions each accounted for significant proportions of the variance in various health care costs.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRESS AND HEALTH CARE USE: AN INVESTIGATION OF THE BUFFERING ROLES OF PERSONALITY, SOCIAL SUPPORT AND EXERCISE

The main and interactive effects of social support, physical exercise, and personal hardiness on objective measures of health were investigated using a longitudinal research design. Data were collected from 192 working adults. Results showed main effects for hardiness and exercise on the dependent variables of health care costs and the number of health insurance claims filed. Hardiness appeared to be associated with fewer health problems. Contrary to prediction, those who exercised more appeared to have greater health care use. Three-way interactions suggested that health care use was lowest for those high in all three resistance resources: exercise: hardiness: and social support. But, the converse of this reasoning, that absence of these resources is associated with higher levels of illness, was not entirely supported. The interactions suggested that hardiness in the absence of exercise and social support was associated with the highest health care costs. The highest number of claims was apparent for those exhibiting hardiness and exercise. Thus, the presence of exercise, hardiness, and social support seemed to decrease health care use, but the factors contributing to greater health costs and claims were more complicated to interpret.

No Downturn Here: Tracking E-business Programs in Higher Education*

As the fortunes of e-businesses fluctuate, what is the state of e-business educational offerings? The present study attempted to explore this question by investigating the number and nature of e-business programs available in colleges and universities. Results were compared to previously published findings on e-business education. Data were collected from program web sites. Masters and bachelors degree programs based in North America and elsewhere in the world were examined. Despite the “dot-bomb” economy, the present data suggested large increases in all foreign and North American bachelors programs between the start of the fall semester of 2000 and November 2001. The number of North American masters programs appeared to increase dramatically during the year 2000 and at a lesser rate afterward. Findings also suggested that bachelors and foreign masters programs involved more technical e-business courses than the North American masters programs. The educational and economic factors possibly underlying these trends are discussed.

Cultural Values of Indian Managers: An Exploration through Unstructured Interviews

The present research addressed and explored the cultural values that Indian managers may apply in their business activities. Criticisms of research in this area include the use of Western theories and methods that may ignore cultural factors. The present study sought to overcome this concern by using unstructured interviews to collect qualitative data. This approach allowed for exploration of value diversity and contextual influences, which both tend to characterize Indian organizational behavior. Results suggested evidence of cultural values such as yogic spirituality, non-attachment, interconnectedness with others, nonviolence, tolerance, and a sense of duty. Some respondents however espoused values in direct opposition to the traditional culture. The managers in this sample also largely espoused the use of participative management and employee empowerment. Results are discussed with regard to current literature.

The empowered classroom: Applying TQM to college teaching

Total quality management (TQM) principles of 100 percent customer satisfaction/zero defects, self‐managing or autonomous teams, employee empowerment, and continuous process evaluation and improvement were utilized in the design and implementation of a graduate course in organizational behavior. Students made many choices that are usually made by the instructor. Students responded with enthusiasm to the challenge of self‐managing teams and empowerment; in contrast, the concepts of customer satisfaction and process evaluation were found to be relatively more difficult to translate into class process. Theoretical and practical implications of applying a business management model to an educational context are discussed. The paper concludes with a discussion of the study’s implications for higher education.

Psychosocial Predictors of Health Status Revisited

A one-year prospective design was used to explore health care costs, claims, and job burnout in relation to the following predictors: work and life stress, social support, exercise, Type A behavior, and personal hardiness. Nowacks (1991) model guided the study. A sample of 260 working adults from two organizations participated. Bivariate correlational results suggested that stressful work events were positively related to health care costs and the number of claims filed. With regard to job burnout, (a) stress appeared positively related to personal accomplishment and (b) Type A behavior was associated with greater emotional exhaustion. Higher job satisfaction, social support, and Type A behavior were associated with an increased sense of personal accomplishment. Findings concerning objective health indicators are discussed in relation to previous results pertaining to self-reports of health/illness.

Ferment in Business Education: E-Commerce Master's Programs.

Abstract Business schools are developing strategies to prepare students for the new digital economy. In this study, the authors investigated recently launched masters programs in e-commerce by reviewing the curriculum and course descriptions of 67 programs that had Web listings of their programs. Findings suggest that the programs offered more nontechnical e-commerce courses than courses focusing on e-commerce technology. The authors explored the debate between those who believe e-commerce is a new discipline requiring its own degree programs and those who would weave e-commerce content into existing functional area courses.

Predictors of Student Internet Use: Data from Three Developing Countries.

Training, organizational support, attitude and national culture were explored in relation to college students’ Internet usage. Samples were drawn from India, Mauritius and Reunion Island (an overseas Department of France). Each nation differs culturally from the others. Questionnaire data was collected on students’ Internet usage as well as the predictor variables. Data was analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression. The country groups were dummy‐coded. Results suggested that attitude, training and university support were positively related to students’ Internet use. Non‐significant interaction terms suggested that these relationships did not change according to country sample. The present findings are consistent with previous reports using samples from Western, economically developed countries.

Nurses' attitudes and behavioral intentions concerning aids care

The problem of the rapidly growing AIDS epidemic is compounded by negative attitudes and unwillingness to care for such patients by reportedly high percentages of nurses. On the basis of the literature, an exploratory interactive model predicting willingness to provide care is derived and tested. Results suggest that attitude is positively related to the behavioral intention to provide AIDS care. This relationship is more pronounced for nurses who score low on the variable of conservative views.

e-Crime Prevention: An Investigation of the Preparation of e-Commerce Professionals

As e-commerce revenues have mounted in recent years, so have losses from security breaches and legal problems. The present study conceptualized e-commerce activities focused on gains versus loss prevention in terms of regulatory focus theory. Professional preparation provided in 163 e-commerce masters programs worldwide was investigated using propositions derived from the theory. Data were collected using extensive Web searches of masters program curricula. Results suggested that a majority of the programs lacked courses in the prevention-focused topics of law, security, or ethics. As e-businesses increasingly face the threat of costly legal and security incidents, it appears necessary for e-commerce education programs to place greater emphasis on prevention-focused topics.