Mark A. Davis

Measuring Ethical Ideology in Business Ethics: A Critical Analysis of the Ethics Position Questionnaire

Individual differences in ethical ideology are believed to play a key role in ethical decision making. Forsyth’s (1980) Ethics Position Questionnaire (EPQ) is designed to measure ethical ideology along two dimensions, relativism and idealism. This study extends the work of Forsyth by examining the construct validity of the EPQ. Confirmatory factor analyses conducted with independent samples indicated three factors – idealism, relativism, and veracity – account for the relationships among EPQ items. In order to provide further evidence of the instrument’s nomological and convergent validity, correlations among the EPQ subscales, dogmatism, empathy, and individual differences in the use of moral rationales were examined. The relationship between EPQ measures of idealism and moral judgments demonstrated modest predictive validity, but the appreciably weaker influence of relativism and the emergence of a veracity factor raise questions about the utility of the EPQ typology.

Factors related to bridge employment participation among private sector early retirees

Abstract Many retirees choose to participate in some form of bridge employment—part time, self-employment or temporary work that follows an individual’s long-term or career job and precedes permanent retirement ( Feldman, 1994 ). In this study, correlates of bridge employment participation were examined using a sample of 133 early retirees from an oil and gas services firm. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that organizational tenure, certainty of retirement plans, and career-related pull factors accounted for a significant portion of the variance in overall participation in bridge employment after controlling for the effects of age, gender, and marital status. At the same time, the significance of organizational tenure, career-related pull factors, and entrepreneurial orientation, varied as a function of the category of bridge work performed by retirees, that is, whether retirees were employed within the same industry or a different industry. Differences between these results and those of previous studies using public sector employees are discussed.

EVALUATING COGNITIVE TRAINING OUTCOMES: VALIDITY AND UTILITY OF STRUCTURAL KNOWLEDGE ASSESSMENT

Conventional approaches to evaluating cognitive outcomes of training typically use paper-and-pencil tests that emphasize gains or differences in declarative knowledge. Yet a key factor in differentiating expert and novice performance is the way individuals organize their knowledge. Accordingly, the acquisition of meaningful knowledge structures and methods of assessing structural knowledge are potentially important issues for designing and evaluating training programs. Two studies were conducted to examine the validity and utility of one structural assessment technique called Pathfinder (Schvaneveldt, Durso, & Dearholt, 1989). Results from academic and organizational samples indicated that Pathfinder measures of structural knowledge quality predicted individual differences in performance self-efficacy. After controlling for differences in declarative knowledge, measures of structural knowledge quality added to the prediction of performance self-efficacy in the student sample, but not in the organizational sample. The unique features and potential advantages of structural assessment for training evaluation are discussed.

Assessing knowledge structure in accounting education: an application of Pathfinder Associative Networks

Abstract Knowledge structure, or the way in which individuals organize knowledge, is a separate and distinct learning outcome. Extensive prior research supports the contention that knowledge structure is a primary determinant of expertise in any professional field. Assessments of structural development can provide instructors and students with unique feedback regarding progress toward the development of appropriate knowledge structure and the effectiveness of training, yet such assessments are seldom employed in accounting education. This paper presents a structural assessment technique, Pathfinder, which is easily implemented in an instructional setting to measure the development of students’ structural knowledge. This paper describes Pathfinder and presents results from two studies conducted to evaluate the appropriateness of employing Pathfinder in accounting education. Results indicate that Pathfinder measures of structural assessment improved in response to instruction in accounting and pre-instructional differences in knowledge of accounting influenced the post-instructional quality of knowledge structure. Most importantly, data produced by Pathfinder enhanced the prediction of performance-related outcomes relevant to professional practice, beyond that provided by more traditional measures of student learning. Finally, knowledge structure measures were positively associated with domain-specific self-efficacy. Combined, these results confirm the convergent, discriminant and predictive validity of the measure and demonstrate that structural assessment can provide valuable feedback regarding instructional effectiveness.

Environmental scanning as a moderator of strategy-performance relationships: an empirical analysis of physical therapy facilities.

To date, strategic management research in health care is largely confined to the acute care sector of the industry. This research examines the linkages among environmental scanning, competitive strategy and performance in physical therapy facilities. Nontrivial differences between acute and subacute care firms suggest the role of environmental scanning may change in non-acute care settings. Consistent with previous research, these results indicate that the frequency of internal and external scanning is related to the strategic orientation of physical therapy facilities. Contrary to the expectations, broader scope of scanning is positively related to an increasing market-focused and increasing efficiency strategic orientation. A key objective of the research is to test the impact of strategy/scanning alignment on facility performance. These findings support predictions on the moderating role of scanning activities in the strategy–performance relationship. However, a para-doxical pattern of results has possible implications for clinician managers in subacute care settings as well as the interpretation of scanning activities.

The relationship between office system tools and evidence-based care in primary care physician practice

A number of office system tools have been developed to improve the rates of preventive services and enhance the quality of medical care in practice settings. New approaches to measuring physician adherence to evidence-based standards of treatment, offer a unique opportunity to examine the link between the use of office system tools and evidence-based practices in primary care. Using episode-based profiling measures of adherence as the criterion, results from this investigation suggest that the application of simple physician reminders can be an effective technique for promoting evidence-based treatment. The data also reveal that the influence of health information technology (HIT) resources on adherence was not exclusively positive. Specifically, adherence to evidence-based standards was higher for primary care practices that employed HIT resources judiciously. In contrast, extensive use of personal digital assistants was negatively associated with adherence. Despite concerns directed towards the new generation of episode-based profiling measures, results from this research indicate that the measures behave similarly to traditional measures of quality.

Understanding claims-based quality profiles in primary care practice: the role of office system tools and health information technology.

Background: Claims-based quality profiles are increasingly used by third-party payers as a means of monitoring and remunerating physician performance. As traditional approaches to assessing performance yield to electronically generated data, identifying practice tools capable of influencing the behavior of these measures becomes essential to effectively managing medical practices. Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of using office system tools (i.e., patient registries, physician reminders, and flow sheets) and health information technology (HIT) on claims-based quality profile scores in primary care practices. Methodology: We analyzed survey responses from primary care physicians (n = 191) regarding their use of office system tools and HIT. These responses were linked to quality profile scores obtained from a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas claims-based data set. Findings: Elevated quality profile scores were associated with physicians who reported higher use of HIT. In addition, the influence of one office system tool, physician reminders, was contingent upon the availability and use of HIT. Practice Implications: Our findings indicate that primary care practices that fail to implement or use HIT appropriately will fare poorly in systems that monitor and reward performance based on measures derived from claims data. Linking prompts or reminders directly to clinical actions that influence quality indicators endorsed by payers should be a component of quality assurance programs.

Future and past negative time perspective influences on job satisfaction and organizational commitment in Mexico and the United States

Purpose This paper aims to examine the influence of future and past negative time perspectives on job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The effect of national culture (Mexico versus the USA) as a moderator of the above baseline relationships is also analyzed. Design/methodology/approach The research model is tested using survey data drawn from a sample of 287 Mexican and 274 US MBA students (N = 561). Regression analyses were used to test the hypotheses. Findings Future time perspective has a positive relationship with job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Past negative time perspective has a negative association with both job attitudes. The effect of future time perspective on job satisfaction was significantly stronger in Mexico than in the USA. No other significant differences between the countries were found in terms of the time perspective and job attitudes association. Practical implications The results have implications for managing dispositions that affect work-related attitudes and behaviors with consequences for organizational effectiveness. Originality/value The findings suggest that time perspective affects job attitudes. Further, they also suggest that the interplay between future time perspective and culture influences job satisfaction.