This research investigates the effectiveness of computerized adaptive rating scales (CARS) in comparison to the relatively more common behavioral anchored ratings scales (BARS) format. The current study sought to extend the body of psychometric research of CARS while investigating its potential for use in the employment interview. Using 43 videotaped interviews and supervisor job performance ratings, and constructing a new task-performance based CARS, it was hypothesized that employment interview ratings produced using the CARS format would yield significantly higher predictive validity coefficients than those produced by the BARS format. Results showed that while interview ratings produced in the CARS format were predictive of supervisor job performance ratings, they were not significantly higher than ratings in the BARS format. Academic and applied implications are discussed.

This study built upon the theoretical feedback process of Ilgen, Fisher and Taylor (1979), as refined by Kinicki, Prussia, Wu, & Mckee-Ryan (2004), to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanism underlying an individual's response to performance feedback. The feedback model implicates source credibility and the feedback-rich environment as critical elements in the process explaining recipient accuracy perceptions and responses. Thus the sign and perceived accuracy of performance feedback were investigated in a 3 x 3 (plus control) experimental design. One hundred fifty-six undergraduate students were randomly assigned to feedback conditions, in which they performed on a three-trial Lego model reproduction task. After trial one, participants received false feedback from a confederate supervisor. The feedback was based on fictional norm tables, which framed the participant's performance as falling into the 70th percentile (positive), 50th percenti le (average), or 30th percentile (negative) according to condition. The supervisor then supplemented the norm tables with conclusive comments designed to be perceived as positive distortion of the norm table feedback, reinforcement of norm tables (accurate feedback), or negative distortion of the norm tables. Performance time, errors, task-specific self-efficacy, self-assessment of performance, and self-report effort-expended data were collected on trials one through three. The results indicated a significant interaction between feedback sign and perceived feedback accuracy on participant performance (F(4,132) = 3.72, p < 0.01), whereby the performance in the positively distorted-positive sign feedback condition was significantly higher than performance in the positively distorted-negative sign feedback condition. When the feedback was perceived to be accurate, negative sign feedback resulted in significantly better performance compared to the positive feedback condition (contrar y to previous research). Task-specific self-efficacy was not found to mediate the relationship between type of feedback and performance, and no significant effect of feedback sign or perceived feedback accuracy on task-specific self-efficacy was found. These findings provide possible explanation as to why supervisors tend to positively distort both sign and accuracy in performance appraisals (e.g., Benedict & Levine, 1988). Implications for theoretical expansion of the feedback process model, and application to workplace performance management are discussed.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Asian Studies / Master / Master of Philosophy

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This dissertation examines eight 21ˢᵗ century high school U.S. history textbooks for content and omission concerning American Indians. The focus of the inquiry is on the Marshall Trilogy cases and other federal Indian law cases. The Marshall Trilogy cases are three cases decided by the U.S. Supreme Court over 180 years ago that remain the foundational legal principles that guide governmental relations with Native peoples. The treatment afforded these cases is evaluated in light of a master national narrative for the United States. The Marshall Trilogy cases and the master national narrative have had and continue to have global consequences. The way federal Indian law is presented in textbooks impacts the way citizens treat American Indian peoples and their support for various foreign policy options. In addition, the content of high school history curriculum can affect the way students perceive history, Native America, and schooling. By examining history curriculum critically and establishing a truly inclusive narrative, the hope is that schooling and history become legitimate for all students. The primary approach is to use both a quantitative and qualitative critical content analysis using an indigenized critical discourse approach. Generally, the analysis will move from the focused text within each textbook, to other text within each textbook, to text across the textbooks, and finally to larger socio-cultural phenomena. The APPRAISAL analysis (Coffin, 2006) allows a discerning of linguistic attributes that allows for the exposition of the narrative of the specific text concerning the Marshall Trilogy. The general content analysis is given a critical lens by Brayboy's Tribal Critical Theory (2005) and Grande's Red Pedagogy (2004). The curriculum work of Apple (2004) and Hall's (1986) exposition of Gramsci's hegemony add to our understanding of the nature of textbooks and the knowledge that counts for society. Fairclough's (1995) Dialectic-Relational Approach guides the study to determining whether there is a social wrong, and if so, what it is. The wrong is then examined to determine what obstacles are in the way of addressing the wrong and whether the society needs the wrong. Finally, various ways of correcting the social wrong are addressed.

Caring for an elder with dementia at home is considered a challenging and complex process. The purpose of this study was to describe the impact of family caregiving upon caregivers of elders with dementia on caregiver's health in the context of Chinese family caregiving. The investigation also describes the roles of caregiving appraisal, coping, familism, and perceived social support on the relationship between caregving stressors and caregiver outcomes.A cross-sectional correlational design was used to examine relationships among the variables. Ninety-six family caregivers of elders with dementia in China were recruited. Self-reported questionnaires were utilized to measure the variables.Results from bivariate correlational analysis found that ADL impairments had no any significant relationship with other variables and was not used in model testing.. Path analysis indicated that the proposed Dementia Caregiving Model did not fit the data well. Model modifications were performed based on AMOS 5.0 output and the theoretical rationale for the potential modifications. The modified final model fit the data perfectly. It explained 21.1% and 39.7% of the variance in caregiver physical health and psychological health respectively. In the final models, behavioral problems of care-recipients and perceived social support of caregivers had direct and indirect effects on caregiver physical health and psychological health. Familism and caregiving satisfaction only had indirect effects on caregiver psychological health and no effects on caregiver physical health. Conversely, caregiving subjective burden and coping had direct effects on caregiver health; burden had direct effects on both physical and psychological health of caregivers, whereas coping had a direct effect on caregiver psychological health.The findings enrich knowledge of dementia family caregiving in the context of China and Chinese culture and add the important variables of caregiver appraisal of caregiving satisfaction and familism to existing theories and models of stress and coping on family caregiving cross culturally. This study not only contributes to Chinese nursing research by introducing a conceptual model for family caregiving of elders with dementia, but also can be a basis for formulating interventions to help family caregivers of elders with dementia cope with their caregiving situations.

This paper evaluates some arguments made against the conceptions of right action within virtue ethics. I argue that the different accounts of right action can meet the objections raised against them. Michael Slote‘s agent-based and Rosalind Hursthouses agent-focused account of right action give different judgments of right action but there seems to be a lack of real disagreement between the two accounts. I also argue that the concept of right action often has two important parts, relating to action guidance and moral appraisal, respectively, and that virtue ethics can deal with both without a concept of right action.

Worldwide, poverty remains to be an obstacle to achieve sustainable development and improve the well-being of people. Microfinance has become a popular tool for poverty alleviation and it can now be found in poor countries across the world. Microfinance is based on the principle that poor people can initiate their own development out of poverty, given they have the starting capital to do so. The capital can be invested in income-generating activities and it is assumed that this will lead to a higher income and additional positive effects, like an increase in well-being, will follow. However others argue that the focus on income is only one aspects of poverty, other forms of deprivation and constraints are excluded. This thesis aims to address how microfinance, the provision of credit in particular, has an influence on the well-being of women. A participatory rural appraisal was conducted in order to explore how women define well-being. The perspectives of four women groups from the urban and peri-urban areas of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania were included in understanding the local definition of well-being, the developments in their lives and the changes in well-being they have perceived. The results show that the group loans may contribute to positive changes in the well-being of women, but these changes cannot be attributed to the loans alone. The changes in well-being caused by the loan intertwine with other factors like group dynamics and family life; therefore the results need to be interpreted considering the specific context. Furthermore the results show that the changes in well-being are not necessarily related to an increase in income, thus contesting the assumptions on which microfinance is based.

Problems: How would a decision model that takes into account more aspects and dimensions than just the financial aspect look for smaller service compa-nies? What aspects are important to consider in such a decision model? Purpose: The purpose of this master thesis is to develop a decision model based on previous research, to improve decision making in smaller service com-panies – by considering perspectives that traditional investment calcula-tions ignore. Method: The study was qualitative and was based on both primary and secondary data. As data collection method for the development of the model we used literature search on previous research. The study’s primary data consisted of responses from five smaller service companies. The model was evaluated empirically by five smaller service companies to explore the model’s practical relevance and applicability. Conclusions: The study confirmed the need for a comprehensive investment decision model, since it has been clearly shown that aspects other than the tradi-tional calculation methods could have big impact on an investment deci-sion. The key factors for small service companies has shown to be cus-tomer relationships, previous experience, competitors and corporate strategy. The developed model was based on these factors and was con-sidered as useful and interesting by the responded companies. / Problemformuleringar: Hur kan en beslutsmodell som tar hänsyn till fler aspekter och dimens-ioner än enbart det finansiella se ut för mindre tjänsteföretag? Vilka aspekter är viktiga beakta i en sådan beslutsmodell? Syfte: Syftet med denna magisteruppsats är att med utgångspunkt i tidigare forskning utveckla en modell för att förbättra beslutsfattandet i mindre tjänsteföretag, genom att beakta perspektiv som traditionella investe-ringskalkyler förbiser. Metod: Studien var av kvalitativ karaktär och baserades på såväl primärdata som sekundärdata. Som datainsamlingsmetod för framtagandet av investe-ringsmodellen användes till störst del litteratursökning om tidigare forskning. Studiens primärdata utgjordes av responsen från fem mindre tjänsteföretag, som utvärderade den framtagna modellens praktiska rele-vans och applicerbarhet. Slutsats: Studien bekräftade att ett behov av en heltäckande modell för investe-ringsbeslut finns eftersom det tydligt har visat sig att andra aspekter än de traditionella kalkylmetoderna kan ha minst lika stor inverkan på ett investeringsbeslut. De viktigaste faktorerna för mindre tjänsteföretag har utöver det finansiella visat sig vara företagets anställda, kundrelationer, tidigare erfarenheter, konkurrenter och företagets strategi. Den framtagna modellen som bygger på dessa faktorer ansågs av de responderade före-tagen som användbar och intressant.

Magistriniame darbe analizuojama Europos Sąjungos šalių nekilnojamojo turto mokestinė sistema, siekiant numatyti šio mokesčio tobulinimo kryptis Lietuvoje. Lietuvos nekilnojamojo turto mokesčio sistema yra kūrimosi cikle, todėl nėra pritaikyta kiekvienam regionui kaip daugelyje Europos Sąjungos šalių. Tačiau daugelyje ES šalių, o ypatingai Lietuvoje įteisinta daug nekilnojamojo turto mokesčių lengvatų, kurios sudaro sąlygas korupcijai bei šešėlinei ekonomikai, o kartu iškreipia Mokesčių etikos kodekso taisykles. Tad norint skatinti smulkų ir vidutinį verslą, svarbu nustatant tarifus bei parenkant vertinimo metodiką atsižvelgti į regioninius ypatumus. Dabartinis pasirinktas turto vertinimo metodas, masinis turto vertinimas, neturi tokio efektyvumo, kaip buvo tikimąsi. Metodas ne tik, kad neišsprendė anksčiau buvusių problemų, bet sudarė prielaidas naujoms. Esant tokiai situacijai, tikslingiau būtų taikyti nekilnojamojo turto mokestį, susietą su žemės verte, apie kurio taikymą svarsto daugelis ES šalių. / The purpose of master work is to analyse the current situation of the real estate taxing system in the European Union countries and provide the perfect ways for this tax in Lithuania. The real estate tax system in Lithuania is on the creation cycle, so it doesn‘t adjust to each region as in many European Union countries. However in many EU countries, and especially in Lithuania are validate many privileges of the real estate tax, which make a reserve of the corruption and the black economy and also it twist the rules of the Taxes ethical codex. On purpose to stimulate a small and medium enterprises, it‘s very important estimate the rates and the value method regard to regional peculiarity. The current value method of the real estate, massive appraisal, doesn‘t have such efficiency, how was expected. The method doesn‘t crack the latest problems but made presumptions to new. In that case it would be advisable to practise the real estate tax, which is relate with the land value, about what consider many EU countries. The real estate tax impact not only laws or real estate value, but also taxing policy of the local government. From the local government chosen policy depends concatenations between authority and enterprisers, to manage motivate this tax incomes resorting for towns image and together for raising investment. To make the real estate system working in maximal function, it‘s necessary all named elements of jus base constantly development.