Empowerment, Constraint, and the Entrepreneurial Self: A Study of White Women Entrepreneurs

Discourses of entrepreneurship and research on women entrepreneurs have proliferated in the last two decades. This study argues that a particular conception of an entrepreneurial self underlies much literature on women entrepreneurs and their empowerment, and identifies several key assumptions of this entrepreneurial self. The study then assesses the motivations and experiences of several white women entrepreneurs in a northwestern state in the United States, finding that aspects of the entrepreneurial self are most evident in the reasons that women provide about why they became entrepreneurs. However, the experiences the women narrate reveal a more constraints-centered discourse, which features a particular interpretation of the frontier myth of the American West, and bears traces of an emergent, collective notion of empowerment. The authors explain such empowerment from critical and feminist perspectives, offering the concept of bounded empowerment as a lens through which to examine entrepreneurship and gender, and discussing its practical implications.     

Machiavellians' Motives in Organizational Citizenship Behavior

This study investigated the relationship between Machiavellianism, a predisposition toward manipulative behavior, and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), defined by being helpful, cooperative, and conscientious. Given past findings that Machiavellians seek opportunities for impression management to obtain personal benefit, we hypothesized that the negative association between Machiavellianism and organizational citizenship behaviors toward the organization (OCBO) is stronger than the negative association between Machiavellianism and organizational citizenship behaviors toward individuals or groups (OCBI). Additionally, we hypothesized that Machiavellianism is associated with the OCB motive of impression management, but negatively associated with the OCB motives of organizational concern and prosocial values. Participants were 606 working adults (as well as their supervisors and co-workers) from various organizations in the U.S. South and West. Results generally confirmed the predicted relationships, which were consistent across supervisor and co-worker perceptions as well. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.     

Student teachers’ proactive strategies for avoiding study-related burnout during teacher education

The study aims to gain a better understanding of the function of proactive strategies in buffering study burnout among student teachers at the early stage of their studies. There is some evidence that the use of active social coping strategies during studies is related to reduced burnout levels among early career teachers. Less is known about the association between the proactive strategies and burnout among student teachers. Altogether, 244 Finnish student teachers completed the survey. The data were analysed by using SEM. The results suggested that the proactive strategies adopted by student teachers seem to prevent study-related burnout, especially in terms of exhaustion in studies and inadequacy in studying, but not directly the perceived cynicism towards studies. The results imply that learning how to use proactive strategies is functional in coping with study-related stressors, by reducing the risk of student teachers’ burnout.     

Physician Associate Students' Experience of Anatomy Dissection

The role of physician assistant/associate (PA) has expanded from its inception in the United States over 50 years ago, to European countries including Ireland. While there is an increasing body of evidence exploring the role and training of PAs in clinical settings, there is a scarcity of research exploring PA students' perspectives in relation to their experience of anatomy dissection, or how these experiences may contribute to the development of their core professional identity. Students in the first two cohorts of PA Program at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland program were invited to interviews which solicited them to reflect and report on their own experiences of anatomical dissection during their course. Participants' responses were analyzed using a thematic inductive approach; common themes and patterns were organized into a hierarchical structure, which generated the final framework of themes. Ten participants took part in the study; only one had previous personal experience of dissection, while two further participants had some familiarity with prosected specimens. The first theme concerned the participants' expectation of anatomical dissection, with sub-themes of preconceptions, smell, and emotions. The second theme involves discussion of coping strategies that the participants used, including talking, viewing the cadaver as their first patient, and naming (or not naming) the cadaver. The third theme includes how the participants' talked about respect and compassion in the dissection room, development of team working skills, and awareness of bereavement and organ donation. A number of recommendations were also made for the experience and orientation of future students in such a program.     

Student engagement as a mediator of the effects of socio-economic status on academic performance among secondary school students in Australia

In this article, we contribute to understanding of the mechanisms through which students’ socio-economic family background can translate into academic performance by focusing on the concept of student engagement. Drawing on theoretical perspectives from disciplines across the social sciences, and a major nationally representative dataset from Australia, which links survey responses with administrative records on school performance, we conduct a series of multiple regression models to investigate the mediating role of student engagement on the relationship between students’ socio-economic status (SES) and academic achievement. We find that, first, low-SES students show lower levels of engagement than other students, particularly in terms of behavioural and cognitive aspects; they also have lower achievement levels as measured by standardised test scores. We further find that lower engagement is associated with lower achievement levels, and that the effects of SES on achievement are partially mediated through student engagement. Although there are clearly other mechanisms in place that operate at the same time, it is important to focus on student engagement since it can be directly influenced by teachers and school leaders, as well as curriculum choices and school resources. This makes it a ripe target for government policies aimed at improving educational outcomes for students from low-SES families, compared with approaches targeting the influences of family environment or peer groups.     

音乐符号的抽象与言语声态

音乐符号与言语声态之间存在着某种抽象关系。音乐符号,在某种程度上是在言的感叹、诗的嗟叹、歌的咏唱的基础上逐渐抽象独立出来的。音响符号的“非语义性”、“非人声性”,以及形式的上高度理性化、明晰化,内容上的高度感性化、模糊化的特征,反映了音乐音响符号与言语声态符号剥离后呈现出的高度纯化的符号特性。     

邓小平改革开放理论是电大办学的指导思想

邓小平改革开放理论是电大办学的指导思想,电大教育要持续发展,就必须深刻领会邓小平“解放思想、实事求是“的理论精髓,在“开放、求实“四字上下功夫做文章,开拓进取,求实创新,再造电大辉煌.     

Muscle activation sequencing of leg muscles during linear glide shot putting

In the shot put, the athlete’s muscles are responsible for generating the impulses to move the athlete and project the shot into the air. Information on phasic muscle activity is lacking for the glide shot put event and therefore important technical information for coaches is not currently available. This study provides an electromyography (EMG) analysis of the muscle activity of the legs during shot put. Fifteen right-handed Irish national level shot putters performed six maximum effort throws using the glide shot put technique. EMG records of eight bilateral lower limb muscles (rectus femoris, biceps femoris, medial- and lateral-gastrocnemius) were obtained during trials. Analysis using smooth EMG linear envelopes revealed patterns of muscle activity across the phases of the throw and compare men and women performers. The results showed that the preferred leg rectus femoris, the preferred leg biceps femoris and the non-preferred leg biceps femoris play important roles in the glide technique, with the total duration of high volumes of activity between 34 and 53% of the throw cycle. A comprehensive understanding of movement and muscle activation patterns for coaches could be helpful to facilitate optimal technique throughout each of the key phases of the event.     

“新常态”下长江经济带发展略论--“长江经济带高峰论坛”主旨演讲摘要

2014年9月12日国务院发布了《国务院关于依托黄金水道推动长江经济带发展的指导意见》;12月中央经济工作会议指出,要继续实施西部开发、东北振兴、中部崛起、东部率先的区域发展总体战略,重点实施“一带一路”、京津冀协同发展、长江经济带三大战略。虽然自20世纪80年代以来,已多次提出过长江流域经济发展的区域战略和措施,但在中国经济“新常态”下的长江经济带发展,需要新理念、新思路、新举措。为推动长江经济带研究进一步全面、深入展开,并为推进长江经济带发展献计献策,2014年11月29日,由中国区域经济学会、重庆工商大学主办的“长江经济带高峰论坛”在重庆举办,来自北京、天津、上海等12个省市30多名领导、专家共同出席研讨长江经济带建设与发展。本刊将本次论坛上20位专家所作主旨演讲的主要内容摘录如下①,以飨读者。