Rodney Schneck

Nursing subunit technology: a replication.

Overton, Schneck, and Hazletts (1977) measurement of nursing subunit technology was replicated using 157 subunits of 9 types located in 24 hospitals in Alberta. A 21-item questionnaire was given to nurses, and the answers were subjected to factor analyses. Results indicated three dimensions of technology: instability, uncertainty, and variability. Because of the similarity of these variables to those in the Overton, Schneck, and Hazlett study, the results suggested a high degree of construct validity for the measure. The technological dimensions also differentiated among the types of subunits in the same pattern as in the original study. A relatively quick method of obtaining measures of instability, uncertainty, and variability by using composite scores was tested and found reliable.

The Structure of Work Organizations Across Societies

Data are analyzed on 70 organizations in Britain (Birmingham), Canada (Toronto), and the United States (Ohio) using standard scales of Autonomy of Decision Making, Functional Specialization, and Fo...

Criteria for grouping nursing subunits in hospitals.

Data from 135 nursing subunits were used to identify a set of organizational variables that best explained the grouping of activities into nursing subunits in hospitals. Relatively strong support was provided for technology as a basis for grouping nursing subunits; characteristics of the hospital, including its type, size, and location, also were relevant.

Sources and Management of Organizational Stress in Nursing Sub-units in Canada

The main objectives in this research were to explore differences in kinds of stress in varying types of nursing sub-units in hospitals and to examine the relative importance of sub-unit characteristics such as the technology, size, environment, context, structure, and internal sub-unit processes in contributing to sub-unit stress. Five kinds of stress were identified: stress from traumatic emotional experiences, psychogeriatric work load, scheduling of work, physician-nurse relationships, and personality role stress; some of these were found to be associated with variations in the technology of the sub units, but did not appear likely to be modifiable through changes in structural design and organizational processes. Other types of stress were related to both the technology and the sub-unit environment and these appeared to be more amenable to modification through the type of structure and internal processes of the sub-unit.

A Structural Comparison between Canadian and American Industrial Organizations.

March 1 979,volume 24 This paper examines differences in the degree of bureaucratization and professionalization in industries in Canada and the United States. Three hypotheses are tested with census data from both countries. The first provides a comparative test of the hypothesis that structural characteristics of an industry at the period of its development persist over time. The second hypothesizes that cultural factors produce structural differences in industries in the two countries. The third argues that foreign ownership of corporations results in greater bureaucracy and less professionalization in Canadian industries than in American industries. The results provide general support for the persistence of structural characteristics, no support for the structural effects of cultural differences, and some support for the structural effects of foreign control.

A Test of the Uni-dimensionality of Various Political Scales through Factor Analysis: A Research Note

Contemporary political science is increasingly interested in the problem of empirical measurement and at various times researchers need scales to measure political attitudes and behaviour. In this process the Canadian political scientist is faced with two alternatives: (1) he can develop new scales, or (2) he can use existing measures from the literature which in most cases mean using scales empirically developed and used in the United States.

The Effects of Ruralism, Bureaucratic Structure, and Economic Role on Right-Wing Extremism

This theory explains the susceptibility of the old middle class to right-wing ideology as a response to their lack of involvement in the power structure and decision process of modern capitalism. Specifically, the old middle class is largely excluded from both public and private bureaucracies. This relative exclusion from power induces frustration and alienation which in turn increases susceptibility to the appeals of right-wing extremism. The mass-society theory downplays the importance of such traditional economic variables as income and class the main factor is

Towards the Development of a Canadian-American Scale: A Research Note

To many Canadians anti-Americanism is not only as old as Canada itself, but it also seems to have been and still is an integral part of the entire Canadian experience.1 To the historian Baker, anti-Americanism is a recurring theme in Canadian history and exists today as it did a century ago.2 However, anti-Americanism, to the best knowledge of the authors, has not been investigated through systematic behavioural empirical research. The development of a scale to measure anti-American attitudes is a necessary step in the empirical investigation of Canadian anti-Americanism. The purpose of this research note is to present some data that contribute to the empirical development of a measure of Canadian attitudes towards Americans which may be used as an antiAmerican scale.