Leader self‐awareness: An examination and implications of women's under‐prediction

Self‐awareness represents an important aspect of leadership. However, past research on leader self‐awareness has focused on one component of self‐awareness, self versus others' ratings, leaving the second component, the ability to anticipate the views of others, largely neglected. We examined this second component of self‐awareness by focusing on women leaders who have been found to under‐predict how others rate them. In two studies, we measured how women leaders anticipate the views of their bosses in regard to their leadership. In Study 1, 194 leaders rated their leadership, were rated by their bosses, and then predicted how their bosses rated their leadership. While we found that women under‐predict their boss ratings compared with men, we did not find that boss gender or feedback played a role in this under‐prediction. In Study 2, 76 female leaders identified (via open‐ended questions) possible reasons and consequences of under‐prediction for women in organizations. Results from Study 2 reveal the following: (1) the reasons for women's under‐prediction include a lack of self‐confidence, differences in feedback needs, learned gender roles, and self‐sexism; and (2) the perceived consequences of under‐prediction are negative for both women and the organization. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Co-creating an alternative: the moral economy of participating in farmers’ markets

Growing dissatisfaction with the globalised food system, articulated on the behalf of both producers and consumers, has caused a variety of public debates surrounding the ethics of food production and consumption to become increasingly visible in society over the last two decades. Simultaneously, farmers’ markets (FMs) and other forms of direct marketing have experienced a noteworthy increase in participants, indicating an emerging demand for an alternative to conventional food networks, alternatives that are often perceived as providing a more just and moral relationship to food production and consumption. This study examines consumer and producer motivations for participation in FMs and opinions towards conventional and alternative agriculture in order to elucidate what (if any) values and morals are shared among producers and consumers. This study draws upon the theoretical framework of moral economy to understand whether these shared values suggest FM participants are working to co-create an alternative economy based on “moral” principles such as fairness, justice, and reciprocity. This mixed-methods study consists of consumer surveys (N?=?377) and semi-structured interviews with producers (N?=?17) from five FMs in the state of Delaware. The results suggest that producer and consumer motivations to participate in FMs, particularly a shared emphasis on social value, are indicative of a sense of moral economy. However, this moral economy is complicated by tension towards consumers and the alternative food movement more generally expressed on behalf of producers.     

环境保护理念应成为未来领导的基本素养

领导干部作为经济发展的领路人和带头人,无论对经济发展还是环境保护,无疑肩负着更为重要的使命.培养未来领导的环保理念应当包括:正确的政绩观,经济和环境并重的理念;环境有价、资源有偿的理念;可持续发展理念;节约资源、理性发展的理念;强化法律法规学习,依法保护环境的理念;依托科技,实现资源利用效益最大化、最优化的理念.     

Environmental awareness and the contemporary society of China——an analysis and an understanding

ＩｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎＴｈｅｗｏｒｄ“ｅｎｖｉｒｏｎｍｅｎｔ”ｎｏｗｂｅｃｏｍｅｓａｃａｔｃｈｗｏｒｄｉｎＣｈｉｎａ，ｂｕｔｔｈｅｔｅｒｍ“ｅｎｖｉｒｏｎｍｅｎｔａｌａｗａｒｅｎｅｓｓ（ＥＡ）”ｉｓｓｔｉｌｌｎｏｔｉｎｔｈｅｓａｍｅｐｏｓｉｔｉｏｎ．ＴｈｉｓｉｓｔｈｅｒｅａｓｏｎｗｈｙＩｔｒｙｔｏｍａｋｅａｂｒｉｅｆｉｎｑｕｉｒｙｉｎｔｈｉｓｐａｐｅｒａｂｏｕｔｔｈｅｒｅｌａｔｉｏｎｓｈｉｐｂｅｔｗｅｅｎｔｈｅＥＡａｎｄＣｈｉｎａ○ｓｓｏｃｉｅｔｙ．ＥＡｉｓａｎｕｎｄｅｒｓｔａｎｄｉｎｇｏｆｖ…     

The emergence of global environmental awareness

An effective plan for global ecosystem management must be developed in the next 10 or 20 years. Awareness of the need has recently emerged, but still no integrated resource management system is universally accepted. A fragmented management approach has not been effective. Any successful course of action must be based on three assumptions: (1) that science can determine how ecosystems function, (2) once this is known, the social/political system will be able to protect ecosystems to the extent needed for the survival of human society, and (3) reality will take precedence over political expediency because Mother Nature cannot be fooled. This discussion focuses on the transition from awareness to taking effective action.     

Linking emotional intelligence to safety performance: The roles of situational awareness and safety training

Introduction: Safety outcomes in the workplace require individual employees to perform (behave) safely in everyday duties. While the literature suggests that emotional management capabilities or traits can be positively related to individual performance in certain conditions, it is not clear how they can influence safety-related performance in high-risk work contexts. Drawing upon trait activation theory, this paper aims to examine when emotional intelligence (EI) benefits employees’ safety performance. We propose that when employees receive inadequate safety training, EI is more likely to trigger their situational awareness and consequently promote their safety performance. Method: We collected time-lagged data from 133 full-time airplane pilots working in commercial aviation industry. Hierarchical moderated regression analysis was conducted to test the moderating effect of safety training inadequacy on the EI–situational awareness relationship. The moderated mediation model, which involves conditional indirect effects of EI on safety performance via situational awareness across different levels of safety training inadequacy, was tested using the PROCESS-based bootstrap confidence interval. Results: Safety training inadequacy negatively moderated the relationship between EI and situational awareness, such that EI was significantly related to situational awareness only when safety training inadequacy was more salient. The more inadequate safety training was, the greater the indirect effect of EI on safety performance via situational awareness was. Conclusions: Inadequate safety training, as a negative situational cue, can activate individuals’ EI to drive their safety-related cognitions (e.g., situational awareness) and behaviors. Effective safety training may be able to complement employees’ low EI in shaping their situational awareness and safety behaviors. Practical Applications: Aviation managers should monitor the adequacy and effectiveness of safety training; this could make pilots’ situational awareness and safety performance depend less on personal attributes (e.g., EI), which organizations are less able to control. When training capacity is temporarily limited, priority might be given to those with low EI.     

A theoretical and methodological framework for studying and modelling drivers’ mental representations

This article provides a synthetic overview of the research programme carried out at INRETS-LESCOT over the last 10 years, in view to studying and modelling the mental representations of car drivers. Theoretically, this research is in line with two complementary scientific traditions: Human Information Processing theories on the one hand, and theories of Operative Activity on the other. As discussed in Section 1 of the article, attention is given to the functional representations of drivers, constructed “by” and “for” the action, such as they are implemented in a driving situation, and taking into account both implicit and explicit dimensions. This aim directly impacts on the methodological approach implemented, in so far as it entails defining an “experimental continuum” ranging from naturalistic observations of the driving activity (on the open road), to setting up more controlled experimental protocols in order to permit in-depth, systematic and reproducible scientific investigations of drivers’ cognition. Section 2 of the article presents a synthetic view of these methods, while Section 3 presents several significant results obtained with them. Lastly, the final part of the article focuses on the computational formalism defined at INRETS-LESCOT (i.e. the driving schemas) designed to model driver knowledge and mental representations, and developed in a COgnitive Simulation MOdel of the DRIVEr called COSMODRIVE.     

Individual preparedness and mitigation actions for a predicted earthquake in Istanbul

This study investigated the process of taking action to mitigate damage and prepare for an earthquake at the individual level. Its specific aim was to identify the factors that promote or inhibit individuals in this process. The study was conducted in Istanbul, Turkey—where an earthquake is expected soon—in May and June 2006 using qualitative methods. Within our conceptual framework, three different patterns emerged among the study subjects. Outcome expectancy, helplessness, a low socioeconomic level, a culture of negligence, a lack of trust, onset time/poor predictability, and normalisation bias inhibit individuals in this process, while location, direct personal experience, a higher education level, and social interaction promote them. Drawing on these findings, the paper details key points for better disaster communication, including whom to mobilise to reach target populations, such as individuals with direct earthquake experience and women.     

Assessment of boscalid and pyraclostrobin disappearance and behavior following application of effective microorganisms on apples

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is to assess the disappearance of boscalid (IUPAC name: 2-chloro-N-[2-(4-chlorophenyl)phenyl]pyridine-3-carboxamide) and pyraclostrobin (IUPAC name: methyl N-[2-[[1-(4-chlorophenyl)pyrazol-3-yl]oxymethyl]phenyl]-N-methoxycarbamate) residues in apple fruit, and to verify whether an organic fertilizer enriched with strains of antagonistic microorganisms can reduce pesticide residue levels. Field trials were conducted in a commercial orchard on apples of the Gloster variety, during 21 days after the treatment with Bellis 38 WG and the subsequent application of Zumba Plant formulation containing Bacillus spp., Trichoderma spp. and Glomus spp. In control samples, the decrease rate of boscalid and pyraclostrobin residue levels followed an exponential function, described by formulae R_t = 0.2824e^?0.071t and R_t = 0.1176e^?0.060t, with the coefficient of determination of r² = 0.8692 and r² = 0.9268, respectively. These levels dropped to half (t_1/2) of their initial values after 9.8 and 11.5 days, respectively. The treatment with Zumba Plant resulted in a reduction in boscalid and pyraclostrobin residue levels by 52% and 41%, respectively. The results of this study are of importance for horticulture sciences and for producers of apples using plant protection products (PPPs).     

“绿色奥运”对提高北京公众环境意识的影响研究——世界城市环境教育机制与途径的思考

筹办绿色奥运的7年间,北京市公众的环境意识得到了前所未有的提高。2005-2009年,专业机构连续5年对北京城乡居民进行6次环境意识专项调查。结果显示:市民环境意识明显提高,公众环保认知水平日益提升,居民的环保习惯正在养成,83.3%的人认为绿色奥运提高了自己的环境意识,这种积极的影响还在持续。本文采用文献资料法、调查问卷法、数理统计法等从绿色奥运与提高公众环境知识水平、参与环保能力和促进大众传媒关注环保等4个方面分析绿色奥运对北京市公众环境意识的影响,并探讨环境教育在世界城市目标下面临的形势和挑战。