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- Title
- IDENTIFYING FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE GENDER DISPARITIES IN PHYSICIAN INCOME: IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC POLICY.
- Creator
-
Bolyard, Wendy, Wan, Thomas, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Research has shown that female physicians continue to earn less than their male counterparts. From both social justice and feminist perspectives, laws requiring equal pay should provide just income for females as compared to males. However, the literature continues to indicate that in general females earn less than males, a trend that is also true for physicians. Theoretically informed postulates are measured here with structural equation modeling to test the influence of the unique latent...
Show moreResearch has shown that female physicians continue to earn less than their male counterparts. From both social justice and feminist perspectives, laws requiring equal pay should provide just income for females as compared to males. However, the literature continues to indicate that in general females earn less than males, a trend that is also true for physicians. Theoretically informed postulates are measured here with structural equation modeling to test the influence of the unique latent construct "specialization" on the income gap while controlling for demographic and contextual variables. The analysis tests the assumption that the influence of specialization is the same for females and males. If the influence of specialization and other variables differs by gender, gender bias in physician income may be conceptually implied. The study uses three waves of data from the Community Tracking Study Physician Survey (CTS). The study finds an income gap between females and males in three waves of the CTS. Gini coefficients show females continue to experience greater income inequality than males, with the Lorenz curves for males being closer to the equality lines. Using 1999 income data, there is a statistically significant income gap between female and male physicians when controlling for weeks worked. Information Technology (IT) use was found to be the most reliable construct measuring the unique latent variable specialization. Structural equation modeling showed indicators of specialization have an influence on the income gap. The variables in the CTS Physician Survey made for a poor construct that failed to measure specialization as a uni-dimensional construct. The variables that influence the income gap were different for females than for males. As policy makers revise or create better laws to protect income equality, gender differences must be taken into consideration.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001245, ucf:46909
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001245
- Title
- Recidivism Measurement and Sanction Effectiveness in Youth Diversion Programs.
- Creator
-
Maroney, Thomas, Wan, Thomas, Sanborn, Joseph, Wolf, Ross, Zhang, Ning, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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With the rapid growth of juvenile offender diversion programs, which use many non-traditional sanctions, the effectiveness of sanction combinations in juvenile diversion programs and in each individual program needs to be evaluated. Those making sanctioning decisions currently do so based on intuition rather than using an evidence- or theory-based approach. Considerable research has examined the relationship between offender risk factors and recidivism (who is more likely to reoffend?) and...
Show moreWith the rapid growth of juvenile offender diversion programs, which use many non-traditional sanctions, the effectiveness of sanction combinations in juvenile diversion programs and in each individual program needs to be evaluated. Those making sanctioning decisions currently do so based on intuition rather than using an evidence- or theory-based approach. Considerable research has examined the relationship between offender risk factors and recidivism (who is more likely to reoffend?) and between offender risk factors and sanctions (who is more likely to receive what sanctions?), but little is known about the relationship between sanctions and recidivism (which sanctions best reduce recidivism and for whom?). Furthermore, recidivism studies vary drastically in how they measure or quantify recidivism. This variability of approach makes comparing studies difficult and provides a less-than-complete picture of recidivism in general. The present study used data from one specific youth diversion program to test certain hypotheses of sanctioning by developing and testing a model for assigning sanction combinations to certain offenders on the basis of their individual characteristics. The study first developed measurement models for Offender Risk Propensity, Multiplicity of Sanctions, and Recidivism using structural equation modeling (SEM). Then predictive models were developed to test specific relationships. Understanding the effectiveness of certain sanction packages on certain offenders can form the basis for effective sanctioning in youth diversion programs. This study sought to answer three research questions: What is the best way to measure recidivism? Does completion of a restorative justice program reduce recidivism? Which sanctions, if any, reduce recidivism for specific offender types? To answer the first question: a multi-indicator latent construct of recidivism did a very good job of measuring variation in recidivism. Multiple indicators analyzed simultaneously produced a robust tool that can be used in other recidivism studies and help to reduce comparability issues between studies. The recidivism construct, when tested as a function of completion of the restorative justice program, was seen to produce a significant model having an overall good fit with the data. Thus to answer the second research question: offenders' completion status for the restorative justice program was shown to be a significant predictor of the latent construct of recidivism at the 0.05 level (two-tailed), with those who failed to complete (or chose not to participate) having higher recidivism than did those who completed the program. To answer the third research question: the assignment of specific sanctions (both those suggested by research and theory and those traditionally assigned by this and similar programs) on the entire data set (and on various subsets) of this study have no statistically significant impact on recidivism at the 0.05 level (two tailed).The findings suggest many policy implications. Consistency is all but nonexistent in recidivism measurements in the academic literature and in program review studies. A multi-indicator latent construct of recidivism, such as the one proposed and proven effective in this study, provides a more complete picture than simply conceptualizing recidivism by one dummy variable. This recidivism model can be used as the endogenous variable to evaluate programs and their practices and could reduce the problem of study comparability. This could lead to a better understanding of program characteristics and their impact on offender success. This study also found that completion of the Neighborhood Restorative Justice Program was a significant predictor of recidivism, yet none of the eleven most commonly assigned sanctions were seen to have a significant impact on recidivism for any subgroup. Proponents of restorative justice argue that it is the programs' characteristics and not their specific activities that make the programs successful. Reintegrative Shaming Theory and Labeling Theory support this claim and suggest the best approach to address youth criminal behavior is to admonish the act and not the actor, have the offender and community agree on a plan to make the community whole after that criminal act, and prevent repeated interaction with the formal criminal justice system which encourages the youth to see themself as a deviant and engage in further deviant behavior. These characteristics should be further examined and widely employed if confirmed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004406, ucf:49392
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004406
- Title
- Employing Quality Management Principles to Improve the Performance of Educational Systems: An Empirical Study of the Effect of ISO 9001 Standard on Teachers and Administrators Performance in the Indonesian Vocational Education System.
- Creator
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Kuncoro, Andreas, Elshennawy, Ahmad, Lee, Gene, Rabelo, Luis, Bai, Haiyan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
ISO 9001 has been world widely implemented in both manufacturing and service organizations. A lot of studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of ISO 9001 implementation on the performance of these organizations. Most of these studies show that ISO 9001 implementation realized positive operational improvements and financial success.Building on the merits of successful implementation of ISO 9001 quality management system in manufacturing and service, educational institutions have...
Show moreISO 9001 has been world widely implemented in both manufacturing and service organizations. A lot of studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of ISO 9001 implementation on the performance of these organizations. Most of these studies show that ISO 9001 implementation realized positive operational improvements and financial success.Building on the merits of successful implementation of ISO 9001 quality management system in manufacturing and service, educational institutions have been attempted to adopt it in their operations. Even though there are studies relating ISO implementation to education, no research has been done to investigate the effects of ISO 9001 at the individual level.The objective of this research is to investigate the effects of ISO 9001 quality management implementation on the performance of administrators and teachers. The Indonesian vocational education system is selected as a case example as there is a significant number of such institutions in Indonesia that attempt to achieve ISO certification and there is a national need to improve the performance of vocational education. It is a challenge to assess objectively the degree of ISO 9001 implementation in this specific educational context because of the size and diversity. This study relies on survey that measures the respondents' perception. Hence, this study applies a self-reported survey based performance measurement. The questionnaires are developed based on extensive literature review. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLSSEM) has been used to examine the relationships between the different elements of quality management systems, quality culture; administrator and teacher performances. The study is able to examine multiple interrelated dependence and subsequent relationships simultaneously among examined factors such as teacher and administrator performance, existing quality culture and ISO principles; and to incorporate variables that cannot be directly measured, such as leadership, for example. The findings of this study show that ISO 9001 implementation has positive significant effect on the performance of the vocational school administrator and teacher. The study also identifies key influencing elements of the ISO quality management system and examines their direct and indirect relationships with teacher and administrator performances. This study is expected to improve the current practices in implementing ISO and quality culture in any educational settings, specifically in the case of vocational educational system.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0005019, ucf:50006
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005019
- Title
- LIFE EVENT PERCEPTION:A STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING APPROACH TO THE ANTECEDENTS OF THE LIFE STRESS RESPONSE.
- Creator
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Myers, Christopher, Bowers, Clint, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
It has been often argued that life events have an impact on our physical and psychological well-being. In general, research supports this connection between life events and general health, though some argue that simply experiencing life events has a measurable and predictable impact our health, while others contend that this effect is mediated by the appraisal process. Further, research has identified a number of different factors (hypothetically stratified into pre-existing beliefs, external...
Show moreIt has been often argued that life events have an impact on our physical and psychological well-being. In general, research supports this connection between life events and general health, though some argue that simply experiencing life events has a measurable and predictable impact our health, while others contend that this effect is mediated by the appraisal process. Further, research has identified a number of different factors (hypothetically stratified into pre-existing beliefs, external resources and demands, and behavioral activation and coping strategies) that may influence appraisal and general health. The current study attempts to integrate these findings by testing structural models of the relationship between life events, life stress, and general health while considering the appraisal process and other potential moderators of appraisal and general health. University students (N=204) were tested using 17 assessment measures representing 7 latent constructs of Life Events, Life Stress, Appraisal, General Health, Beliefs, External, and Activation. Results of the measurement models required model respecification to combine Appraisal and Beliefs into one construct and External and Activation into another construct, resulting in a five-factor hypothetical structural model. The resulting empirical structural model is a partially-mediated model that suggests that appraisal and pre-existing beliefs influence the relationship between life events and life stress, and that life events significantly impact measured life stress. The empirical model also indicates that general health is significantly impacted by life stress, as well as behavioral activation and external resources and demands. Practical implications of the findings and recommendations for further research were discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2005
- Identifier
- CFE0000628, ucf:46519
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000628
- Title
- Sustainable Transportation at the University of Central Florida: Evaluation of UCF Rideshare Program, Zimride.
- Creator
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Defrancisco, Joseph, Radwan, Ahmed, Abdel-Aty, Mohamed, Harb, Rami, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
As the second-largest university in the United States, UCF has experienced the largest enrollment in its history. A more densely populated campus has in turn caused increased traffic congestion. Despite increased parking permit fees and newly constructed parking garages, traveling and parking on campus is unpredictable. In effort to reduce congestion on campus, a rideshare program was implemented in Summer 2010. Several universities across the nation have successfully used carpooling as a...
Show moreAs the second-largest university in the United States, UCF has experienced the largest enrollment in its history. A more densely populated campus has in turn caused increased traffic congestion. Despite increased parking permit fees and newly constructed parking garages, traveling and parking on campus is unpredictable. In effort to reduce congestion on campus, a rideshare program was implemented in Summer 2010. Several universities across the nation have successfully used carpooling as a viable alternative mode to manage traffic and parking demand. This thesis evaluates the UCF rideshare program, Zimride, using stated- and revealed-preference surveys. Preliminary results indicate most students prefer to commute to campus using their own car and without incentives there is no reason to change mode choice, regardless of associated costs(-)e.g. decal cost, parking time and frustration. Despite 70% of respondents considering themselves environmentally friendly and over 80% are aware of savings in money and productive by using alternative modes, 70% still use their car to commute to campus. Using Explanatory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the observed variables were organized into three (3) latent variables based on the correlation among them. The SEM results of the revealed-preference survey indicate current travel behavior significantly influences attitudes towards carpooling and demographics have a significant effect on current travel behavior. It was also found that demographics influences attitudes towards carpooling at a non statistically significant level.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004226, ucf:48996
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004226
- Title
- ADHD BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS AND NEAR- AND LONG-TERM SCHOLASTIC ACHIEVEMENT: DIFFERENTIAL MEDIATING EFFECTS OF VERBAL AND VISUOSPATIAL MEMORY.
- Creator
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Sarver, Dustin, Rapport, Mark, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The current study examined verbal and visuospatial memory abilities as potential mediators of the relationship among ADHD behavior problems and near- and long-term scholastic achievement. Scholastic achievement was measured initially and at 4-year follow-up in an ethnically diverse sample of children (N = 325). Nested composite (reading, math, language) and domain-specific reading structural equation models revealed that ADHD behavior problems exerted a negative influence on scholastic...
Show moreThe current study examined verbal and visuospatial memory abilities as potential mediators of the relationship among ADHD behavior problems and near- and long-term scholastic achievement. Scholastic achievement was measured initially and at 4-year follow-up in an ethnically diverse sample of children (N = 325). Nested composite (reading, math, language) and domain-specific reading structural equation models revealed that ADHD behavior problems exerted a negative influence on scholastic achievement measures, both initially and at follow-up. Much of this influence, however, was mediated by verbal memory's contribution to near-term achievement, whereas visuospatial memory contributed more robustly to long-term achievement. For the domain-specific math achievement model, the collective influence of verbal and visuospatial memory fully mediated the direct influence of ADHD behavior problems on near-term math achievement, and visuospatial memory alone contributed to both near- and long-term achievement. In all models, measured intelligence made no contribution to later achievement beyond its initial influence on early achievement. The results contribute to the understanding of the developmental trajectory of scholastic achievement, and have potential implications for developing remedial programs targeting verbal and visual memory deficits in children with ADHD behavior problems.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003502, ucf:48950
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003502
- Title
- The relationship among post-traumatic growth, religious commitment, and optimism in adult Liberian former refugees and internally displaced persons traumatized by war-related events.
- Creator
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Acquaye, Hannah, Jones, Dayle, Robinson, Edward, Van Horn, Stacy, Sivo, Stephen, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
One of the myriad consequences of war is displacement and refugee-ism. People become refugees when they no longer feel safe in their country of origin. Before, during, and after the journey towards safety, refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) endure several challenging circumstances which stretch their normal abilities to cope. In their efforts to cope, these people report several mental health challenges like sleeplessness, hypervigilance, anxiety, and depression. The reported...
Show moreOne of the myriad consequences of war is displacement and refugee-ism. People become refugees when they no longer feel safe in their country of origin. Before, during, and after the journey towards safety, refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) endure several challenging circumstances which stretch their normal abilities to cope. In their efforts to cope, these people report several mental health challenges like sleeplessness, hypervigilance, anxiety, and depression. The reported mental health challenges are normal in this population; however, when they persist, they result in posttraumatic stress disorder. Surprisingly, some also report obtaining psychological growth due to their challenging circumstances. To examine the interplay of posttraumatic stress disorder and psychological growth in this population, the study was grounded on the cognitive theory of trauma and the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. Thus, the relationship among posttraumatic growth, religious commitment, and optimism within adult Liberian former refugees and IDPs traumatized by war-related events became the focus of the investigation. The grounding theories provided four hypotheses that explored the relationship among the constructs, as well as seven exploratory research questions that identified differences among participants. Through purposeful and snowball sampling methods, five hundred participants were selected as the sample; 444 returned the study package. Participants were adult Liberian former refugees and IDPs who could read and understand English at the 8th grade level, and who lived in Monrovia. Participants completed six instruments (-) the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, the Religious Commitment Inventory, the Revised Life Orientation Test, the War Trauma Screening Index, the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5, and demographic questionnaire. Results of the study indicated that there was a statistically significant correlation between impact of war-related events and posttraumatic stress disorder, with alterations in arousal and reactivity obtaining the strongest correlation. However, the presence of posttraumatic stress disorder for the Liberian sample could be attributed to the recent reaction to the Ebola virus which re-traumatized adult Liberian former refugees and IDPs. Furthermore, there was a statistically significant relationship between all factors of posttraumatic stress disorder and all factors of posttraumatic growth. The relationship between factors of religious commitment and factors of posttraumatic stress disorder was statistically significant for some posttraumatic stress disorder factors and not significant for others. Similarly, relationship between optimism and posttraumatic stress disorder was statistically significant for some and not significant for others. Finally, a structural equation model was conducted to identify latent variables affecting the relationship. Results indicated, as per the hypothesized model, that war events predicted trauma, which in turn predicted posttraumatic growth. However, even though religiousness and optimism could each predict posttraumatic growth, optimism, more than religiousness provided errors that co-varied with errors of trauma, indicating that with the presence of optimism, a person could move from trauma towards growth. Review of related literature situated the current study in the mental health discourse, especially in providing a voice for mental health on the African continent. Detailed methodology was provided, as were results of findings. Finally, summary, conclusions, and recommendations were provided for both mental health workers, counselor educators, and researchers.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006241, ucf:51077
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006241
- Title
- Examining High School Teachers' Technology Acceptation of A Learning Management System in A Large Public School District.
- Creator
-
Foster-Hennighan, Shari, Butler, Malcolm, Hewitt, Randall, Boote, David, Swan, Bonnie, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The purpose of this research study was to understand high school teachers' acceptance and use of Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) (Canvas, 2011) in a large public school district. Teachers are the keystone species within the educational environment, and as such, are critical for the successful integration of technology in the classroom (Davis, Eickelmann, (&) Zaka, 2013). Therefore, in order to facilitate teacher's acceptance and use of technology for instructional purposes, those...
Show moreThe purpose of this research study was to understand high school teachers' acceptance and use of Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) (Canvas, 2011) in a large public school district. Teachers are the keystone species within the educational environment, and as such, are critical for the successful integration of technology in the classroom (Davis, Eickelmann, (&) Zaka, 2013). Therefore, in order to facilitate teacher's acceptance and use of technology for instructional purposes, those factors that influence or prevent use need to be understood. This study used a revised Technology Acceptance Model (Fathema, Shannon, (&) Ross, 2015) to determine those factors that affect teachers' actual informational and communicational use of the Canvas LMS (Canvas, 2011). This mixed methods study used a survey and interview to answer three research questions concerning acceptance, use, and departmental influence on the use of Canvas LMS. The survey data were analyzed with Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in order to produce two explanatory models to address the three research questions. The semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 teachers from one high school in a large public school district. The interview questions were transcribed, coded, and themed in order to answer research questions two and three. The analysis of the survey and interview data found that teachers were more likely to use informational rather than communicational features in Canvas. Communicational use differences were more evident than informational use among the four core subject areas, with mathematics using these features the least. For both models of survey data, the quality of the Canvas system was an influence on teacher use. The influence of teacher intent was contradictory between the two models. The findings from this study can be used to inform stakeholders of factors that influence high school teachers Canvas use, and recommendations to improve integration in the future.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007631, ucf:52478
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007631
- Title
- Predictors of hospital quality and efficiency.
- Creator
-
Fotovvat, Hoda, Wan, Thomas, Liu, Albert Xinliang, Ramirez, Bernardo, Yu, Chia-Yuan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
American hospitals have made serious efforts to implement and expand their health information technology capabilities and to integrate different specialized care or high-tech services in order to maximize the efficiency and quality of care. In providing a variety of HIT-related services, these hospitals expanded their national reputation in line with integrated care goals. As a result, hospitals are encouraged to establish effective communication channels to facilitate patient-physician...
Show moreAmerican hospitals have made serious efforts to implement and expand their health information technology capabilities and to integrate different specialized care or high-tech services in order to maximize the efficiency and quality of care. In providing a variety of HIT-related services, these hospitals expanded their national reputation in line with integrated care goals. As a result, hospitals are encouraged to establish effective communication channels to facilitate patient-physician sharing of the patient care experience, to enhance effective pain management, and to transform patient-centered care modalities to solidify the adequacy of patient care processes. By analyzing national data sets publicly available, this investigation explored the relationship of acute-care hospitals' performance to the contextual, organizational and patient characteristics, using a cross-sectional study design. This study developed and evaluated the quality and efficiency of hospitals with respects to the structural complexity, process adequacy, efficiency, and quality of care. The structure-process-outcome theory in quality of care developed by Donabedian (1980), is adopted for this investigation. Statistical methods such as confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and covariance structure model are employed. The population surveyed by the American Hospital Association (AHA) are acute care hospitals throughout the United States, including more than 3000 acute care hospitals of all types of ownership. The data provided by HIMSS Analytics and AHA are available for 2015 and the data provided CMS quality indicators are available for 2016. The key finding of this research is that process adequacy mediates the relationship between hospital structure and performance variables. The efficiency variable played an important role in shaping quality. The location and hospital teaching status have a moderate impact in determining hospital performance by affecting the structure and process of hospitals.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007888, ucf:52796
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007888
- Title
- An Ecological Analysis of Social and Economic Influences on Black and White Infant Mortality Risk In Orange County, FL.
- Creator
-
Lopez-Littleton, Vanessa, Liberman, Aaron, Wan, Thomas, Wright, James, Lieberman, Leslie, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Black health disparities are a salient public health issue with blacks in every socioeconomic level at a greater health disadvantage than their white counterparts. In particular, disparity in infant mortality rates between blacks and whites have widened in recent decades to differentials never before experienced in the United States. Social ecologists investigating the myriad of individual and environmental risk factors have failed to fully account for the persistent differential. This study...
Show moreBlack health disparities are a salient public health issue with blacks in every socioeconomic level at a greater health disadvantage than their white counterparts. In particular, disparity in infant mortality rates between blacks and whites have widened in recent decades to differentials never before experienced in the United States. Social ecologists investigating the myriad of individual and environmental risk factors have failed to fully account for the persistent differential. This study examines the relationships between individual and environmental influences on the health risk experienced by blacks, whites, as well as the differential between the two populations. This multi-level analysis was conducted using five-year aggregate data centering on the 2000 decennial census (1998 - 2002) as the most recent census data available. During the study period, the 193 census tracts in Orange County, Florida, experienced 504 infant deaths which included 242 black and 241 white infant deaths. Using the infant mortality target rate developed for Healthy People 2000 as the (")normal(") infant mortality rate, risk was calculated as the percentage of deviation from the (")normal("). A rate was also calculated to demonstrate the difference between black and white percent deviations from the (")normal("). Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationship between socioeconomic influences (Socioeconomic Disadvantage), social risk factors (Social Disorganization), and behavioral risk factors (Poor Behavioral Choices) using a latent variable approach based on a conceptual model which integrated the social determinants of health framework and conflict theory. In this study, an inverse association was found between socioeconomic disadvantage and infant mortality risk for black infants. This finding is contradictory to the expected finding and may have been due to multicollinearity or the operationalization of the endogenous study variable for black infant mortality risk. Thus, this study highlights the complexity of unraveling the interrelationship between social and economic risk factors. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of the latent variable approach in public health research as well as the need to broaden the approach to selecting indicators. This study concludes with specific policy recommendations aimed at improving the health outcomes of vulnerable populations using the social determinants of health framework.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0004129, ucf:49109
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004129
- Title
- THE IMPACT OF ORGANIZATIONAL GOAL CONVERGENCE, INFORMATION-COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY UTILIZATION, AND INTER-ORGANIZATIONAL TRUST ON NETWORK FORMATION AND SUSTAINABILITY: THE CASE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES.
- Creator
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Garayev, Vener, Kapucu, Naim, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
With the increase of severity and scope of disasters, collaborative networks have become the main tool to tackle with complex emergencies. Networks, however, are mostly effective to the extent they are maintained over time. This study analyzes whether organizational goal convergence, information-communication technology utilization, and inter-organizational trust impacts network sustainability. The main research questions of the study are: (1) How are organizational goals, technical...
Show moreWith the increase of severity and scope of disasters, collaborative networks have become the main tool to tackle with complex emergencies. Networks, however, are mostly effective to the extent they are maintained over time. This study analyzes whether organizational goal convergence, information-communication technology utilization, and inter-organizational trust impacts network sustainability. The main research questions of the study are: (1) How are organizational goals, technical/technological capacity of organizations, and trust among organizations of a network are related to the sustainability of collaborative network relationships? (2) Which of the above-mentioned factors plays the most significant role in affecting network sustainability? Covering the context of emergency management system in the United States, this study utilized a self-administered survey that was electronically distributed to county emergency managers across the country. The data consisting of 534 complete responses was analyzed in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Inc. software's PASW (Predictive Analytics SoftWare) Statistics version 18.0 and transferred to Amos 18.0 software for structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis. The findings suggest that organizational goal convergence, information-communication technology utilization, and inter-organizational trust have positive and statistically significant relationships with network sustainability; and, inter-organizational trust is the strongest factor followed by information-communication technology utilization and organizational goal convergence. The study contributes to the literature on network sustainability with specific suggestions for emergency management practitioners.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003920, ucf:48738
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003920
- Title
- THE CONTEXTUAL IMPACT OF INCOME INEQUALITY ON SOCIAL CAPITAL AND ADVERSE SOCIAL OUTCOMES.
- Creator
-
Schiff, Jeannie, Wan, Thomas, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
An interdisciplinary approach to policy and governance recognizes that many social welfare problems are interrelated, and policy-makers have long recognized a need to address the root causes of these problems. There is much evidence that income inequality is one of these root causes but research suggesting the effect of income inequality is mediated by social capital has complicated the relationship, as have theories of causality that take different approaches. This study takes an ecological...
Show moreAn interdisciplinary approach to policy and governance recognizes that many social welfare problems are interrelated, and policy-makers have long recognized a need to address the root causes of these problems. There is much evidence that income inequality is one of these root causes but research suggesting the effect of income inequality is mediated by social capital has complicated the relationship, as have theories of causality that take different approaches. This study takes an ecological approach to these issues to test the relationship between income inequality, social capital and selected adverse outcomes proposed by the relative income hypothesis. The relative income hypothesis posits that the impact of income inequality on adverse outcomes is mediated by social capital. The study used a retrospective cross-sectional design to analyze county-level data for the year 2000 with a structural equation model composed of three constructs: income inequality, modeled by four common measures; a social capital construct based on a model developed by Rupasingha, Goetz and Freshwater (2006); and an adverse outcomes construct designed as a parsimonious measure of social outcomes in four public affairs disciplinary areas. The test of the path presumed by the relative income hypothesis revealed both a direct effect of income inequality and indirect effect of inequality through social capital. However, the direct effect of income inequality on outcomes was significantly larger than the indirect effect, indicating the relationship is moderated, rather than mediated, by social capital. Since the impact of social capital on the selected adverse outcomes was relatively small, and the final model failed to achieve statistical significance, the relative income hypothesis that income inequality exerts its primary effect on outcomes through social capital was rejected.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003205, ucf:48574
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003205
- Title
- SOCIAL CAPITAL INFLUENCES IN WOMEN AT RISK FOR POOR PREGNANCY OUTCOMES.
- Creator
-
James-Mesloh, Jennifer, Wan, Thomas, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Poor pregnancy outcomes such as prematurity, low birth weight and infant mortality are societal indicators of a nationÃÂÂ...
Show morePoor pregnancy outcomes such as prematurity, low birth weight and infant mortality are societal indicators of a nationÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ's health status. These indicators have remained at exceptionally high rates in the United States despite the levels of resources and technology. In the quest to understand that discrepancy, among the ranges of theories and models for explaining poor pregnancy outcomes an emerging concept is coming to attention: social capital. In order to test whether maternal social capital has an impact on pregnancy outcome, women in a Healthy Start program were surveyed over a 13-month period to assess their social capital levels and then their pregnancy outcomes. What emerged was that maternal social capital can predict up to 47% of the variance in pregnancy outcome. That is a powerful research result considering that previously there has been no literature tracing a link between maternal social capital and pregnancy outcome. In this study, maternal risk factors adversely affect up to 30% of the variance in pregnancy outcomes. Previous research has focused on maternal risk factors as the primary reason for high rates of preterm delivery, low birth weight, and infant mortality in the United States. However, this research found that in the sample of women at risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes, maternal risk factors had a very strong influence on maternal social capital (R-square=65%) while their effects on pregnancy outcomes were about half of their effects on social capital. This result suggests that social capital mediates the effects of maternal risk factors on pregnancy outcomes. It appears that one of the reasons that the high rates of adverse pregnancy outcomes in the United States have remained a mystery is that maternal social capital has not been taken into account.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003123, ucf:48639
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003123
- Title
- SOCIAL PATHOGENIC SOURCES OF POOR COMMUNITY HEALTH.
- Creator
-
Smith, Hayden, Wan, Thomas, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The United States currently provides a health care system that is neither efficient nor equitable. Despite outspending the world on health care, over three-fourths of developed countries produce better health outcomes (Auerbach et al., 2000). Simultaneously, the "Ecological School of Thought" has documented the large impact that social, economic, and environmental circumstances play in health outcomes. Unfortunately, these 'ecological" studies are frequently conducted without theoretical...
Show moreThe United States currently provides a health care system that is neither efficient nor equitable. Despite outspending the world on health care, over three-fourths of developed countries produce better health outcomes (Auerbach et al., 2000). Simultaneously, the "Ecological School of Thought" has documented the large impact that social, economic, and environmental circumstances play in health outcomes. Unfortunately, these 'ecological" studies are frequently conducted without theoretical justification, and rely solely on a cross-sectional research design and a myriad of unrelated variables. This study represents an important step towards the development of a true theory of "ecology". More specifically, we argue that the adversity associated with socio-economic disadvantage, social disorganization, and a lack of health care resources, leads to adverse health outcomes, represented by sentinel health events. This research employs both a cross-sectional (2000) and longitudinal designs (1990 – 2000) to assess the antecedents of sentinel health events in 309 United States counties. Structural Equation Modeling was the statistical technique employed in the study. Findings revealed that socioeconomic disadvantage remains a primary contributor to sentinel health. Indeed the economic growth between 1990 and 2000 was associated with increased rates of sentinel health events. Social disorganization was identified as a primary contributor to sentinel health events at a specific time point (2000), but was not significant over time (1990 -2000). Conversely, the inadequacy of health care resources was non-significant in the cross-sectional model (2000), but significant in the longitudinal model (1990 -2000). In both models, racial characteristics were fundamentally linked to ecological predictors of health We found support for the notion that sentinel health events would be reduced through economic equity and the development of healthy environments where community ties are reinforced. Less support is found for saturating given geographical areas with health care resources in order to reduce sentinel health events. Future research should be directed by the theoretical advancements made by this study. More specifically, future studies should examine independent cross-level effects, that is, through the inclusion of behavior variables as mediating factors for ecological constructs.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- Identifier
- CFE0001577, ucf:47108
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001577
- Title
- POLICE ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA:CONFIRMATORY ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND DESIGN STRUCTURE TO PERFORMANCE.
- Creator
-
Goltz, Jeffrey, Wan, Thomas, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
To date, police organizations have not been rigorously analyzed by organizational scholars and most analysis of these organizations has been captured through a single construct. The purpose of this study is to develop confirmatory police organizational analysis by validating a multi-dimensional conceptual framework that explains the relationships among three constructs: environmental constraints, the design structures of police organizations, and organizational performance indicators. The...
Show moreTo date, police organizations have not been rigorously analyzed by organizational scholars and most analysis of these organizations has been captured through a single construct. The purpose of this study is to develop confirmatory police organizational analysis by validating a multi-dimensional conceptual framework that explains the relationships among three constructs: environmental constraints, the design structures of police organizations, and organizational performance indicators. The modeling is deeply rooted in contingency theory, and the influence of isomorphism and institutional theory on the covariance structure model are investigated. One hundred and thirteen local police organizations from the State of Florida are included in this non-experimental, cross-sectional study to determine the direct effect of the environmental constraints on the performance of police organizations, the indirect effect of environmental constraints on the performance of police organizations via the organizational design structure of police organizations, and the direct affect of organizational design structure on performance of police organizations. For the first time, structural equation modeling and data envelopment analysis are used together to confirm the effects of the environment on police organization structure and performance. The results indicate that environmental social economic disparity indicators have a large positive effect on police resources and a medium effect on police efficiency. Propensity of crime indicators has a large negative effect on police resources, and population density has a small to medium negative effect on crime clearance. Structure has a much smaller effect on performance than the environment. The results of the efficiency analysis revealed unexpected findings. Three of the top five largest police organizations in the study scored maximum efficiency. The cause of this unexpected result is explained and confirmed in the covariance model. The study methodology and results enhances the understanding of the relationship among the constructs while subjecting environmental and police organizational data to two comprehensive analytical techniques. The policy implications and practical contributions of the study provide new knowledge and information to organizational management of police organizations. Furthermore, the study establishes a new approach to police organizational analysis and police services management research called Police Services Management Research (PSMR) that encompasses a variety of disciplines with a primary responsibility of theory building and the selection of theoretical framework.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001363, ucf:47000
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001363
- Title
- COHORT STUDY OF PAIN BEHAVIORS IN THE ELDERLY RESIDING IN SKILLED NURSING CARE.
- Creator
-
Burfield, Allison, Sole, Mary Lou, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
An integral concern across care settings is the prompt intervention for patients suffering with pain. Long-term care (LTC) settings present with unique challenges to assess and manage pain in resident populations. Pain assessment is especially challenging, because residents have varying degrees of cognition to communicate their pain, and clinician/staff knowledge of pain symptoms may be lacking. The purpose of this research was to improve the measurement of pain and outcomes of care for the...
Show moreAn integral concern across care settings is the prompt intervention for patients suffering with pain. Long-term care (LTC) settings present with unique challenges to assess and manage pain in resident populations. Pain assessment is especially challenging, because residents have varying degrees of cognition to communicate their pain, and clinician/staff knowledge of pain symptoms may be lacking. The purpose of this research was to improve the measurement of pain and outcomes of care for the elderly residing in skilled nursing care, especially those with cognitive-impairment. The specific aims of this study were to: 1) Determine the magnitude of the relationship between pain behaviors and a measurement model hypothesized for pain; 2) Test the construct validity of a pain measurement model; 3) Examine the concomitance of pain and cognition in a three-year longitudinal analysis. The research questions answered: 1) Is there a difference in the prevalence of pain in cognitively intact versus cognitively-impaired residents; 2) Can a theoretically derived model of pain aid in detecting pain across all cognitive levels; and 3) Do pain and cognitive status concomitantly correlate? The goal was to examine the covariance model of concomitance of pain and cognition to more accurately construct theoretical models of pain to then include additional resident care factors in future research. Traditional self-reports of pain are often under-assessed and under-treated in the cognitively-impaired (CI) elderly resident. Having additional measures to detect pain beyond self-reports of pain intensity and frequency increases the likelihood of detecting pain in populations with complex symptom presentation. Data collected from skilled nursing facilities offer exceptional opportunities to study resident demographics, characteristics, symptoms, medication use, quality indicators, and care outcomes. The Minimum Data Set-Resident Assessment Instrument (MDS-RAI) 2.0, a nationally required resident assessment tool, must be completed on every resident in a Medicare LTC facility within 14 days of admission, quarterly, annually and with significant changes in resident status. Because the MDS is widely used and recognized in LTC settings, core items from MDS [i.e., pain frequency (J2a) and pain intensity (J2b)] along with additional MDS items hypothesized to signify pain were analyzed in the pilot measurement model. Ten core items from MDS were used: 1) Inappropriate behavior frequency (E4da); 2) Repetitive physical movements; 3) Repetitive verbalizations (E1c); 4) Sad facial expressions (E1l); 5) Crying (E1m); 6) Change in mood (E3); 7) Negative statements (E1a); 8) Pain frequency (J2a); 9) Pain intensity (J2b); and 10) Cumulative pain sites scores. All indicators of pain were significant at the p<.01 level. A longitudinal cohort design was used to answer if a concomitance exists between pain and cognition. Data were collected from MDS annual assessments from 2001, 2002 and 2003 for residents across the United States. The sample consisted of 56,494 residents age 65 years and older with an average age of 83 ±8.2 years. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA and a covariance model were used to evaluate cognition and pain at the three time intervals. ANOVA indicated a significant effect (p<.01) for pain and cognition with protected t-tests indicating scores decreased significantly over time with resident measures of pain and cognition. Results from this study suggest that: 1) Using only pain intensity and frequency, pain prevalence was found in 30% of the pilot population, while 47.7% of cognitively intact residents had documented pain and only 18.2% of the severely CI had documented pain, supporting previous research that pain is potentially under-reported in the CI; 2) Parsimonious measurements models of pain should include dimensions beyond self-reports of pain (i.e., cognitive, affective, behavioral and inferred pain indicators); 3) Model fit was improved by using specific MDS items in the pain construct; 4) Longitudinal analysis revealed relative stability for pain and cognition measures over time (e.g., larger stability or consistency was found in cognitive measures than the measures of pain over the three-year period); 5) Crossed-legged effects between pain and cognition were not consistent; 6) A concomitant relationship was not found between pain and cognition. The relationship was significant (p<.01), but associations were weak (r=0.03 to 0. 08). Pain or cognition should not be used as a predictor of the other in theoretical models for similar populations. The MDS is a reliable instrument to follow resident attributes, quality of care, and patient outcomes over time. The development of more accurate assessments of pain may improve resident care outcomes. Ineffectively intervening on the pain cycle is posited to cause secondary unmet needs that affect the resident's quality of life. Findings support the importance of improving clinical outcomes in the management of pain in the elderly residing in long-term care. Deficits in the treatment of pain highlight the impetus to support health policy change that includes pain treatment as a top health priority and a quality indicator for federally funded programs supporting eldercare.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- Identifier
- CFE0002533, ucf:47660
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002533
- Title
- Factors Influencing Hypoglycemia Care Utilization and Outcomes Among Adult Diabetic Patients Admitted to Hospitals: A Predictive Model.
- Creator
-
Kattan, Waleed, Wan, Thomas, Ramirez, Bernardo, Gurupur, Varadraj, Stevenson, Robyne, Pratley, Richard, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Diabetes Miletus (DM) is one of the major health problems in the United States. Despite all efforts made to combat this disease, its incidence and prevalence are steadily increasing. One of the common and serious side effects of treatment among people with diabetes is hypoglycemia (HG), where the level of blood glucose falls below the optimum level. Episodes of HG vary in their severity. Nevertheless, many require medical assistance and are usually associated with higher utilization of...
Show moreDiabetes Miletus (DM) is one of the major health problems in the United States. Despite all efforts made to combat this disease, its incidence and prevalence are steadily increasing. One of the common and serious side effects of treatment among people with diabetes is hypoglycemia (HG), where the level of blood glucose falls below the optimum level. Episodes of HG vary in their severity. Nevertheless, many require medical assistance and are usually associated with higher utilization of healthcare resources such as frequent emergency department visits and physician visits. Additionally, patients who experience HG frequently have poor outcomes such as higher rates for morbidities and mortality.Although many studies have been conducted to explore the risk factors associated with HG as well as others that looked into the level of healthcare utilization and outcomes among patients with HG, most of these studies failed to establish a theoretical foundation and integrate a comprehensive list of personal risk factors. Therefore, this study aimed to employ Andersen's health Behavior Model of health care utilization (BM) as a framework to examine the problems of HG. This holistic approach facilitates enumerating predictors and examining differential risks of the predisposing (P), enabling (E) and need-for-care (N) factors influencing HG and their effects on utilization (U) and outcomes (O). The population derived from the national inpatient sample of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) database and included all non-pregnant adult diabetic patients admitted to hospitals' Emergency Departments (EDs) with a diagnosis of HG from 2012-2014. Based on the BM framework, different factors influencing HG utilization and outcome were grouped under the P, E, or N component. Utilization was measured by patients' length of stay (LoS) in the hospital and the total charges incurred for the stay. Outcome was assessed based on the severity ranging from mortality (the worst), severe complications, mild complications, to no complications (the best). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) followed by Decision Tree Regression (DTREG) were performed. SEM helped in testing multiple hypotheses developed in the study as well as exploring the direct and indirect impact of different risk factors on utilization and outcome. The results of the analysis show that N is the most influential component of predictors of U and O. This is parallel to what was repeatedly found in different studies that employed the BM. Regarding the other two components, P was found to have some effect on O, while E influences the total charge. Interaction effects of predictors were noted between some components, which indicate the indirect effect of these components on U and O. Subsequently, DTREG analysis was conducted to further explore the probability of the different predictor variables on LoS, total charge, and outcome. Results of this study revealed that the presence of renal disease and DM complications among HG patients play a key role in predicting U and O. Furthermore, age, socio-economic status (SES), and the geographical location of the patients were also found to be vital factors in determining the variability in U and O among HG patients.In conclusion, findings of this study lend support to the use of the BM approach to health services use and outcomes and provide some practical applications for healthcare providers in terms of using the predictive model for targeting patient subgroups (HG patients) for interventions among diabetic patients. Moreover, policy implications, particularly related to the Central Florida area, for decision makers regarding how to approach the growing problem of DM can be drawn from the study results.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006611, ucf:51304
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006611
- Title
- Applying the Technology Acceptance Model to Predict and Explain Elementary and Secondary Preservice Teachers' Continuance Behavioral Intentions and Pedagogical Usage of Twitter to build Professional Capital: A Structural Equation Modeling Inquiry.
- Creator
-
Gurjar, Nandita, Sivo, Stephen, Roberts, Sherron, Xu, Lihua, Vie, Stephanie, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The purpose of this research study was to predict and explain elementary and secondary preservice teachers' continuance behavioral intentions and pedagogical usage of Twitter, a web based social networking, microblogging platform, to build professional growth and capital. The objective of the research study was to examine preservice teachers' beliefs associated with the specified constructs that formed the latent variables of the hypothesized research model; these latent variables were then...
Show moreThe purpose of this research study was to predict and explain elementary and secondary preservice teachers' continuance behavioral intentions and pedagogical usage of Twitter, a web based social networking, microblogging platform, to build professional growth and capital. The objective of the research study was to examine preservice teachers' beliefs associated with the specified constructs that formed the latent variables of the hypothesized research model; these latent variables were then measured with their associated indicators or manifest variables, and the relationship between the manifest variables was examined through the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) process. A non-experimental empirical research study was conducted using the survey methodology; purposive, criterion referenced, sampling of elementary and secondary preservice teachers, N=379, was employed using social media platforms and intern listserv at a large Southeastern university. The final sample of N= 250 participants was determined through the process of regression imputation of elementary and secondary preservice teachers' survey responses. The results demonstrated that constructs of the extended Technology Acceptance Model showed significant goodness-of-fit indices and coefficients of determination after analyzing the data from the survey. Implications of this research contribute significantly toward teacher education and training by providing insights into the factors that impact the pedagogical use of Twitter, a web-based social networking and microblogging platform, for building professional capital in preservice teachers.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006314, ucf:51551
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006314
- Title
- An Investigation of College Student-Athletes' Mental Health Stigma, Help-Seeking Attitudes, Depression, Anxiety, and Life Stress Scores Using Structural Equation Modeling.
- Creator
-
Tabet, Saundra, Lambie, Glenn, Barden, Sejal, Taylor, Dalena, Wood, Eric, Jahani, Shiva, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The purpose of this study was to investigate the directional relationship between student-athletes' degree of mental health stigma, help-seeking attitudes, depression, anxiety, and life stress scores. This investigation tested the theoretical model that student-athletes' (N = 621) degree of mental health stigma (as measured by the Perceived Devaluation-Discrimination Scale (-) Adapted [PDD-A; Eisenberg et al., 2009]) contributed to their attitudes towards help-seeking (as measured by the...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to investigate the directional relationship between student-athletes' degree of mental health stigma, help-seeking attitudes, depression, anxiety, and life stress scores. This investigation tested the theoretical model that student-athletes' (N = 621) degree of mental health stigma (as measured by the Perceived Devaluation-Discrimination Scale (-) Adapted [PDD-A; Eisenberg et al., 2009]) contributed to their attitudes towards help-seeking (as measured by the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help (-) Short Form [ATSPPH-SF; Fisher (&) Farina, 1995]) and levels of depression (as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire (-) 9 [PHQ-9; Kroenke et al., 2001]), anxiety (as measured by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder - 7 [GAD-7; Spitzer et al., 2006]), and life stress (as measured by the College Student-Athlete Life Stress Scale [CSALSS; Lu et al., 2012]). Specifically, the researcher tested the hypothesized directional relationship that student-athletes with a greater amount of mental health stigma would have (a) decreased positive help-seeking attitudes and (b) increased levels of depression, anxiety, and life stress. The results of the structural equation model (SEM) analyses identified that student-athletes' amount of mental health stigma contributed to help-seeking attitudes (25.6% of the variance), but not levels of depression (.16% of the variance), anxiety (.09% of the variance), or life stress (.81% of the variance). Specifically, student-athletes' degree of mental health stigma shared a strong negative relationship (-.506) with attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help. Further, the results identified that personal stigma mediates the relationship between public stigma and help-seeking attitudes. Implications of the findings include (a) greater knowledge of the importance student-athletes' mental health stigma and attitudes toward receiving help; (b) increased understanding for counselors of student-athletes mental health needs; and (c) insight into practices for institutions of higher education as they implement mental health initiatives within intercollegiate athletics.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007538, ucf:52597
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007538
- Title
- The influence of an annual meeting on the sense of community of association members, their satisfaction, and future intentions.
- Creator
-
Hahm, Jee Yeon, Breiter, Deborah, Wang, Youcheng, Fjelstul, Jill, Boote, David, Severt, Kimberly, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Over the past decade, many studies have provided some understanding on what influences association members' decision to attend a meeting; however, more systematic and theoretical research is necessary. The decision making process of attendees is a complicated human behavior practice. The major contribution of this study is adopting the sense of community (SOC) model from psychology to gain a better understanding of the attendee behavior. By doing so, this study will add a theoretical...
Show moreOver the past decade, many studies have provided some understanding on what influences association members' decision to attend a meeting; however, more systematic and theoretical research is necessary. The decision making process of attendees is a complicated human behavior practice. The major contribution of this study is adopting the sense of community (SOC) model from psychology to gain a better understanding of the attendee behavior. By doing so, this study will add a theoretical foundation to the existing research in the meeting industry. Also, this study will contribute to the SOC research in psychology by applying the concept to a different setting. This study investigates whether annual conferences build a SOC among association members. First, the SOC of association members at the conference will be analyzed. Second, the influence of SOC on members' satisfaction with the conference will be studied. Lastly, the direct and indirect relationship between SOC and future intentions (i.e., return to next meeting, membership renewal, and membership recommendation) will be examined. Data was collected through an intercept survey approach at three annual conferences of national/international associations. The questionnaire consisted of four sections: sense of community, satisfaction with the conference, future intentions, and member profile. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to test the factor structure and structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationships, and Spearman's rank order correlation was used to see the strength of the relationship between respondent characteristics and sense of community. The results showed that sense of community was a strong predictor of future intentions. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed in the final chapter.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004543, ucf:49247
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004543
