Cultural differences in the perception of critical interaction behaviors in global virtual teams

We investigated whether members of virtual teams from the U.S., India, and Belgium perceived the same interaction behaviors to be critical for team functioning as Dutch members from an earlier study. Thirteen virtual team workers from the U.S., 11 from India, and 11 from Belgium were interviewed by means of the Critical Incident Technique Flanagan [Flanagan, J. C. (1954). The critical incident technique. Psychological Bulletin, 51, 327–358]. The total number of critical incidents from all countries was 493 and most incidents could be grouped into the same 13 categories as those found in the original Dutch study. However, the results showed that the distributions of the critical incidents from the American, Indian, and Belgian respondents differed from those of the Dutch. Indian and Belgian respondents also mentioned a new category of critical incidents: Respectfulness. The cultural differences were interpreted by means of Hofstede's [Hofstede, G. (2001). Cultures consequences: comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations across nations (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, California, U.S.: SAGE Publications] dimensions.     

The effect of video-feedback on the learning of the tennis service by intermediate players

Effects of video-feedback on improvement of the tennis service were investigated in subjects having at least 2 years of playing experience in tennis. The experiment was carried out in an indoor tennis hall under normal training conditions. Subjects were randomly divided into three groups: a video-feedback training (VFT) group, a traditional training (TT) group and a control group, each consisting of 22 subjects. While the subjects of the control group received no training at all, subjects in both the VFT and TT groups were trained twice weekly during 5 consecutive weeks. Each training session lasted 40 min, of which 30 min was spent on actual practice in training of the service. The remaining 10 min was spent on watching, analysing and discussing video recordings of either their own service performed during the training session (VFT group), or ground strokes and volleys of top level players (TT group). Both the VFT and TT group showed significantly greater improvements in both achievement scores and form (technique) scores than did the control group. No differences, however, could be demonstrated between the VFT and TT group, indicating that the subjects of the former group did not benefit from the video-feedback they received. While form scores correlated significantly (P less than 0.001) with the velocity of the served ball, no such relation between form scores and spatial accuracy was apparent.     

Building Your Licensing and Negotiation Skills Toolkit

Licensing and the negotiating of electronic resources can be a daunting task for librarians who lack the proper skill sets and are unfamiliar with the intricacies of publisher agreements. Claire Dygert broke down the individual elements of a standard licensing agreement and explained the importance of protecting the rights of libraries. By providing insight from her years of experience, librarians learned how to develop a support network, build confidence, and be more effective negotiators.     

Droplet formation and shrinking in aqueous two-phase systems using a membrane emulsification method

Using a membrane emulsification method based on porous hollow-fiber membranes in combination with an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS), we are able to produce “water-in-water” droplets with narrow-dispersed size distributions. The equilibrium phases of the aqueous two-phase system polyethylene glycol-dipotassium hydrogen phosphate are used for this purpose. The droplet diameter of a given fluid system is determined by the flow rates of the continuous and disperse phase as well as the hollow fiber dimensions. When diluting the disperse phase and thus moving the ATPS system out of equilibrium, the droplet size can be further reduced in comparison to the equilibrium case. Generally, droplets formed with this method have diameters 20%–60% larger than the inner hollow fiber diameter. The new strategy of diluting the disperse phase allows the production of droplet diameter below the inner diameter of the membrane.     

Struggling with Science and Status: Physiotherapy – Including Radiology and Cancer Treatment – and Physical Education at the State University in Ghent,Belgium, 1906–1936

The establishment of new academic specialties is an intriguing research topic from a social history of science perspective. In this article we focus on the ‘scientific migration’ within the Higher Institute of Physical Education (HIPE) and the Faculty of Medicine at the State University in Ghent, Belgium. The HIPE was ‘attached’ to the Faculty of Medicine in 1908, a world first that led to an interesting triangular relationship between physical education, physiotherapy, and medicine. The physiatrists (physicians-physiotherapists) who were appointed at the HIPE had to struggle with inferior status with respect to their colleagues within the Faculty of Medicine itself. Territorial power struggles arose on several levels. In 1936, after the first generation of physicians-physiotherapists had retired, physiotherapy was integrated fully into the Faculty of Medicine, and radiology and cancer treatment – which had been considered subsectors of physiotherapy – became autonomous specialties. Physical education, however, retained its inferior academic status.     

Priming and Fake News: The Effects of Elite Discourse on Evaluations of News Media

Fake news has become a prominent topic of public discussion, particularly among elites. Recent research has explored the prevalence of fake news during the 2016 election cycle and possible effects on electoral outcomes. This scholarship has not yet considered how elite discourse surrounding fake news may influence individual perceptions of real news. Through an experiment, this study explores the effects of elite discourse about fake news on the public’s evaluation of news media. Results show that exposure to elite discourse about fake news leads to lower levels of trust in media and less accurate identification of real news. Therefore, frequent discussion of fake news may affect whether individuals trust news media and the standards with which they evaluate it. This discourse may also prompt the dissemination of false information, particularly when fake news is discussed by elites without context and caution.