Attribution theory in the organizational sciences: A case of unrealized potential

We argue that although attributional processes appear to affect virtually all goal and reward oriented behavior in organizations, they have not received adequate attention in the organizational sciences. In this Incubator, we encourage scholars to unlock the potential of attribution theory to develop more complete explanations of organizational behavior. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Open-plan office noise: Cognitive performance and restoration

The aim of the present study was to investigate cognitive, emotional, and physiological effects of two open-plan office noise conditions (high noise: 51 LAeq and low noise: 39 LAeq) during work in a simulated open-plan office, followed by four restoration conditions (river movie with sound, only river sound, silence, and office noise) after the work period. Students (N = 47) went through one practice session and two experimental sessions, one each with the low and high noise conditions. In each experimental session they worked for 2 h with tasks involving basic working memory processes. We also took physiological measures of stress (cortisol and catecholamines) and self-reports of mood and fatigue. Analyses indicate that the participants remembered fewer words, rated themselves as more tired, and were less motivated with work in noise compared to low noise. In the restoration phase the participants who saw a nature movie (including river sounds) rated themselves as having more energy after the restoration period in comparison with both the participants who listened to noise and river sounds. Remaining in office noise during the restoration phase also affected motivation more negatively than listening to river sounds or watching the nature movie. The findings bear on the appropriateness of open-plan office designs and the possibilities for restoration available in office settings.     

Incubation time, functional litter diversity, and habitat characteristics predict litter-mixing effects on decomposition

Plant diversity influences many fundamental ecosystem functions, including carbon and nutrient dynamics, during litter breakdown. Mixing different litter species causes litter mixtures to lose mass at different rates than expected from component species incubated in isolation. Such nonadditive litter-mixing effects on breakdown processes often occur idiosyncratically because their direction and magnitude change with incubation time, litter species composition, and ecosystem characteristics. Taking advantage of results from 18 litter mixture experiments in streams, we examined whether the direction and magnitude of nonadditive mixing effects are randomly determined. Across 171 tested litter mixtures and 510 incubation time-by-mixture combinations, nonadditive effects on breakdown were common and on average resulted in slightly faster decomposition than expected. In addition, we found that the magnitude of nonadditive effects and the relative balance of positive and negative responses in mixtures change predictably over time, and both were related to an index of functional litter diversity and selected environmental characteristics. Based on these, it should be expected that nonadditive effects are stronger for litter mixtures made of functionally dissimilar species especially in smaller streams. Our findings demonstrate that effects of litter diversity on plant mixture breakdown are more predictable than generally thought. We further argue that the consequences of current worldwide homogenization in the composition of plant traits on carbon and nutrient dynamics could be better inferred from long-duration experiments that manipulate both functional litter diversity and ecosystem characteristics in "hotspots of biodiversity effects," such as small streams.     

The use of image fusion in prenatal medicine

Fusion imaging (FI), the simultaneous display of the same anatomical region using two imaging modalities, has been used in other areas of medicine for both diagnosis and guiding interventions. Examples include positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) imaging in oncology and ultrasound-magnetic resonance imaging (US-MRI) fusion in biopsies of the prostate gland. The underlying principle is to take advantage of the complementary information in each modality to improve accuracy, be it diagnostic accuracy or targeting accuracy in biopsies. For example, PET-CT overlays the metabolic activity of lesions on the superb spatial and anatomical detail of CT. While the historical mainstay of fetal imaging has been ultrasound, advances in ultrafast MR imaging together with advances in fetal MRI over the past two decades, have resulted in the opportunity to explore fusion imaging in fetal medicine. We present an overview of the principles of US-MRI fusion imaging in prenatal medicine, report our local experience, and review the literature in this emerging area. We share our perspective on how FI can improve diagnostic confidence, be used as an educational tool, and potentially enhance guidance in certain fetal procedures.     

Allowing for MSD prevention during facilities planning for a public service: an a posteriori analysis of 10 library design projects.

Research was conducted to identify an ergonomics-based intervention model designed to factor in musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) prevention when library projects are being designed. The first stage of the research involved an a posteriori analysis of 10 recent redesign projects. The purpose of the analysis was to document perceptions about the attention given to MSD prevention measures over the course of a project on the part of 2 categories of employees: librarians responsible for such projects and personnel working in the libraries before and after changes. Subjects were interviewed in focus groups. Outcomes of the analysis can guide our ergonomic assessment of current situations and contribute to a better understanding of the way inclusion or improvement of prevention measures can support the workplace design process.     

Evaluation of fire as a management tool for controllingSchinus terebinthifolius as secondary successional growth on abandoned agricultural land

Schinus terebinthifolius, native to South America, has become an aggressive woody weed in southern Florida, displacing native vegetation as well as rapidly invading disturbed sites. Studies to evaluate the effectiveness of fire as a management option for controllingSchinus on abandoned farmland in Everglades National Park, known as the “Hole-in-the-Donut,” began in 1979. Study plots were established to monitor any change(s) in herbaceous cover and in numbers and size ofSchinus stems. Except in the control plot (which was not burned), each site was burned as often as fuel conditions permitted (usually once every one or two years), through 1985. Results indicated that both the number and density ofSchinus stems increased over the course of the study. While plots that burned showed a reduction in the rate ofSchinus invasion, invasion still progressed rapidly with or without the occurrence of fire. The increase inSchinus stem density from 1980 to 1985 was highly significant in all transects except one. Herbaceous cover showed no clear trends relative to burning.