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Structural Equation (structural + equation)
Terms modified by Structural Equation Selected AbstractsStructural Equations, Treatment Effects, and Econometric Policy Evaluation1ECONOMETRICA, Issue 3 2005James J. Heckman This paper uses the marginal treatment effect (MTE) to unify the nonparametric literature on treatment effects with the econometric literature on structural estimation using a nonparametric analog of a policy invariant parameter; to generate a variety of treatment effects from a common semiparametric functional form; to organize the literature on alternative estimators; and to explore what policy questions commonly used estimators in the treatment effect literature answer. A fundamental asymmetry intrinsic to the method of instrumental variables (IV) is noted. Recent advances in IV estimation allow for heterogeneity in responses but not in choices, and the method breaks down when both choice and response equations are heterogeneous in a general way. [source] Managing anger for teamwork in Hong Kong: goal interdependence and open,mindednessASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2002Dean Tjosvold Anger is part of working in a team, as is dealing with its frustrations and conflicts. The cooperative,competitive approach to conflict suggests that how open,mindedly the anger incident is discussed impacts on its dynamics and outcomes. Results from critical incident interviews of organization members in Hong Kong clarify how team members can manage their anger. Structural equation and other analyses suggest that open,minded discussion of the anger,inducing incident promotes productivity and strengthens relationships; thereby developing commitment and a belief that team members are resourceful. These constructive dynamics and outcomes were found to occur when team members had co,operative but not competitive nor independent goals. Results were interpreted as suggesting that even in a society where collectivist and conflict,negative values are influential, anger can be managed constructively through an open,minded discussion of the incident. [source] The Role of Clinical and Process Quality in Achieving Patient Satisfaction in HospitalsDECISION SCIENCES, Issue 3 2004Kathryn A. Marley ABSTRACT Managers constantly struggle with where to allocate their resources and efforts in managing the complex service delivery system called a hospital. In the broadest sense, their decisions and actions focus on two important aspects of health care,clinical or technical medical care that emphasizes "what" the patient receives and process performance that emphasizes "how" health care services are delivered to patients. Here, we investigate the role of leadership, clinical quality, and process quality on patient satisfaction. A causal model is hypothesized and evaluated using structural equation modeling for a sample of 202 U.S. hospitals. Statistical results support the idea that leadership is a good exogenous construct and that clinical and process quality are good intermediate outcomes in determining patient satisfaction. Statistical results also suggest that hospital leadership has more influence on process quality than on clinical quality, which is predominantly the doctors' domain. Other results are discussed, such as that hospital managers must be mindful of the fact that process quality is at least as important as clinical quality in predicting patient satisfaction. The article concludes by proposing areas for future research. [source] Decision Theory Applied to an Instrumental Variables ModelECONOMETRICA, Issue 3 2007Gary Chamberlain This paper applies some general concepts in decision theory to a simple instrumental variables model. There are two endogenous variables linked by a single structural equation; k of the exogenous variables are excluded from this structural equation and provide the instrumental variables (IV). The reduced-form distribution of the endogenous variables conditional on the exogenous variables corresponds to independent draws from a bivariate normal distribution with linear regression functions and a known covariance matrix. A canonical form of the model has parameter vector (,, ,, ,), where ,is the parameter of interest and is normalized to be a point on the unit circle. The reduced-form coefficients on the instrumental variables are split into a scalar parameter ,and a parameter vector ,, which is normalized to be a point on the (k,1)-dimensional unit sphere; ,measures the strength of the association between the endogenous variables and the instrumental variables, and ,is a measure of direction. A prior distribution is introduced for the IV model. The parameters ,, ,, and ,are treated as independent random variables. The distribution for ,is uniform on the unit circle; the distribution for ,is uniform on the unit sphere with dimension k-1. These choices arise from the solution of a minimax problem. The prior for ,is left general. It turns out that given any positive value for ,, the Bayes estimator of ,does not depend on ,; it equals the maximum-likelihood estimator. This Bayes estimator has constant risk; because it minimizes average risk with respect to a proper prior, it is minimax. The same general concepts are applied to obtain confidence intervals. The prior distribution is used in two ways. The first way is to integrate out the nuisance parameter ,in the IV model. This gives an integrated likelihood function with two scalar parameters, ,and ,. Inverting a likelihood ratio test, based on the integrated likelihood function, provides a confidence interval for ,. This lacks finite sample optimality, but invariance arguments show that the risk function depends only on ,and not on ,or ,. The second approach to confidence sets aims for finite sample optimality by setting up a loss function that trades off coverage against the length of the interval. The automatic uniform priors are used for ,and ,, but a prior is also needed for the scalar ,, and no guidance is offered on this choice. The Bayes rule is a highest posterior density set. Invariance arguments show that the risk function depends only on ,and not on ,or ,. The optimality result combines average risk and maximum risk. The confidence set minimizes the average,with respect to the prior distribution for ,,of the maximum risk, where the maximization is with respect to ,and ,. [source] Combined effect of factors associated with burdens on primary caregiverGERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2009Hyuma Makizako Background: It is argued that a multidimensional approach is necessary for burden assessment. Reducing caregiver burden is a social problem in the ageing Japan society. We examined the combined effect of factors affecting the care burden among community-dwelling handicapped people and their caregivers. Methods: The participants were 49 handicapped people (aged 53,104 years) who received home-visit rehabilitation, and their 49 caregivers (age 42,85 years). Caregivers were provided questionnaires consisting of questions on social support, subjective well-being, self-efficacy with regard to care continuation, the Motor Fitness Scale and caregiver burden. Care recipients were assessed using the Bedside Mobility Scale and the Barthel Index. Results: We prepared the hypothesis model using structural equation modeling with the bootstrap method within outcome measures. The hypothesis model did not fit the data well. The impact of the Motor Fitness Scale was shifted from the caregiver burden to care self-efficacy and well-being, having a cooperator for care and variable of spouse caregiver or others associated with caregiver well-being in the revised model. The fit of the revised model was acceptable (goodness of fit index, 0.903; comparative fit index, 0.998; root mean square error of approximation, 0.017). In the revised model, the care recipients' disabled state was associated with caregiver burden. In addition, higher burden and poor motor fitness of caregivers might lead to lower care self-efficacy in providing continuous care and lower caregiver well-being. Conclusion: These findings suggested that the program to reduce caregiver burden should focus on aspects of the care recipients' disabled state, the caregivers' well-being, fitness, and care self-efficacy. [source] A fractal forecasting model for financial time seriesJOURNAL OF FORECASTING, Issue 8 2004Gordon R. Richards Abstract Financial market time series exhibit high degrees of non-linear variability, and frequently have fractal properties. When the fractal dimension of a time series is non-integer, this is associated with two features: (1) inhomogeneity,extreme fluctuations at irregular intervals, and (2) scaling symmetries,proportionality relationships between fluctuations over different separation distances. In multivariate systems such as financial markets, fractality is stochastic rather than deterministic, and generally originates as a result of multiplicative interactions. Volatility diffusion models with multiple stochastic factors can generate fractal structures. In some cases, such as exchange rates, the underlying structural equation also gives rise to fractality. Fractal principles can be used to develop forecasting algorithms. The forecasting method that yields the best results here is the state transition-fitted residual scale ratio (ST-FRSR) model. A state transition model is used to predict the conditional probability of extreme events. Ratios of rates of change at proximate separation distances are used to parameterize the scaling symmetries. Forecasting experiments are run using intraday exchange rate futures contracts measured at 15-minute intervals. The overall forecast error is reduced on average by up to 7% and in one instance by nearly a quarter. However, the forecast error during the outlying events is reduced by 39% to 57%. The ST-FRSR reduces the predictive error primarily by capturing extreme fluctuations more accurately. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The influence of authentic leadership behaviors on trust and work outcomes of health care staffJOURNAL OF LEADERSHIP STUDIES, Issue 2 2009Carol A. Wong A key element of a healthy work environment is trust: trust between staff and their leaders. Authentic leadership is proposed as the core of effective leadership needed to build trust because of its clear focus on the positive role modeling of honesty, integrity, and high ethical standards in the development of leader-follower relationships. A model linking authentic leadership behaviors with trust in management, perceptions of supportive groups and work outcomes (including voice or speaking-up behavior, self-rated job performance, and burnout) using secondary analysis procedures was examined. The hypothesized model was tested using structural equation modeling in two samples of health care employees from a western Canadian cancer care agency: clinical care providers including nurses, pharmacists, physicians, and other professionals (N = 147) and nonclinical employees including administrative, support, and research staff (N = 188). Findings suggest that supportive leader behavior and trust in management are necessary for staff to be willing to voice concerns and offer suggestions to improve the workplace and patient care. [source] A cross-cultural test of the work-family interface in 48 countriesJOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, Issue 5 2004E. Jeffrey Hill This study tests a cross-cultural model of the work-family interface. Using multigroup structural equation modeling with IBM survey responses from 48 countries (N= 25,380), results show that the same work-family interface model that fits the data globally also fits the data in a four-group model composed of culturally related groups of countries, as well as a two-group gender model. This supports a transportable rather than a culturally specific or gender-specific work-family interface model: notably, job flexibility related to reduced work-family conflict, reduced family-work conflict, and enhanced work-family fit. Work-family fit related to increased job satisfaction. Findings suggest that investment by multinational companies in job flexibility initiatives may represent a dual-agenda way to benefit men, women, and businesses in diverse cultures. [source] Pass-Through of Exchange Rates and Competition between Floaters and FixersJOURNAL OF MONEY, CREDIT AND BANKING, Issue 2009PAUL R. BERGIN pass-through; exchange rates; translog; China This paper studies how a rise in the share of U.S. imports from China, or any country with a fixed exchange rate, can explain a disproportionate fall in exchange rate pass-through to U.S. import prices. A theoretical model provides an explanation working through changes in markups, showing that a particular "local bias" condition is necessary and that free entry amplifies the effect. The model produces a structural equation for pass-through regressions including the China share; panel regressions over 1993,2006 indicate that the rising share of trade from China or other exchange rate fixers can explain as much as one-half of the observed decline in pass-through for the United States. [source] A Self-Regulatory Model of Behavioral Disinhibition in Late Adolescence: Integrating Personality Traits, Externalizing Psychopathology, and Cognitive CapacityJOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 2 2010Tim Bogg ABSTRACT Two samples with heterogeneous prevalence of externalizing psychopathology were used to investigate the structure of self-regulatory models of behavioral disinhibition and cognitive capacity. Consistent with expectations, structural equation modeling in the first sample (N=541) showed a hierarchical model with 3 lower order factors of impulsive sensation seeking, antisociality/unconventionality, and lifetime externalizing problem counts, with a behavioral disinhibition superfactor best accounted for the pattern of covariation among 6 disinhibited personality trait indicators and 4 externalizing problem indicators. The structure was replicated in a second sample (N=463) and showed that the behavioral disinhibition superfactor, and not the lower order impulsive sensation seeking, antisociality/unconventionality, and externalizing problem factors, was associated with lower IQ, reduced short-term memory capacity, and reduced working memory capacity. The results provide a systemic and meaningful integration of major self-regulatory influences during a developmentally important stage of life. [source] Fueling Innovation through Information Technology in SMEs,JOURNAL OF SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2008Clay Dibrell This paper describes a study that investigates the mediating effects of information technology (IT) on the relationships among product and process innovations and firm performance (measured in multiple profitability and growth rate metrics). Using structural equation modeling on a sample of 397 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), we find evidence that (1) increases on the strategic emphasis placed on innovation, both product and process, positively impact the prominence managers place on IT; (2) the impact of innovation (both product and process) on performance (both profitability and growth) is primarily indirect, felt via the mechanism of the importance managers place on IT; and (3) an increased emphasis on IT abets managers' perception of their firms' performance, as compared with that observed among peer firms (other SMEs). [source] Structural and contextual correlates of charged behavior in product development teamsTHE JOURNAL OF PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2001Rajesh Sethi Firms increasingly use cross-functional teams to develop new products, yet we know little about the processes that make teams excel. Although studies have focused on within-team processes like cooperation between and integration of individuals from various functional areas, some emerging literature suggests that the processes that make teams excel are richer and more complex than cooperation and integration. In order to capture the processes that lead to excellent market performance of new products, we introduce the concept of charged team behavior, the extent to which cross-functional product development teams are enthusiastically and jointly driven to develop superior new products. Charged team behavior captures not only the drive, commitment, and joy of team members, but also their collaborative behaviors to achieve an exceptional outcome. We propose and test a series of hypotheses concerning how charged behavior affects new product market performance and how charged behavior is, in turn, influenced by both team structural characteristics (physical proximity, team longevity, and outcome interdependence) and contextual factors (senior management encouragement to take risk, quality orientation, exposure to customer input, extent of competition, and interdepartmental connectedness). It is particularly important to examine the antecedents of charged behavior because there are concerns that some of the team-related factors generally considered to be useful for teams may not necessarily lead to charged teams. Data from new consumer product development teams is analyzed though structural equation modeling for hypothesis testing. We find evidence that highly charged teams are more likely to develop successful new products. Results also indicate that outcome interdependence, exposure to customer input, extent of competition, and interdepartmental connectedness are positively related to charged behavior. Physical proximity, team longevity, encouragement to take risk, and quality orientation do not improve teams' charged behavior. Data suggests that charged team behavior: 1) fully mediates the effects of outcome interdependence and interdepartmental connectedness on performance, 2) partially mediates the influence of exposure to customer input and the extent of competition on performance, and 3) does not mediate the effects of quality orientation and physical proximity on performance. Our study highlights the importance of creating highly charged product development teams in order to achieve exceptional performance. Further, our results indicate that some of the factors suggested by traditional social psychology research for enhancing team effectiveness (e.g., physical proximity and team longevity) may not necessarily create charged teams. Instead, charged teams need a special arrangement, in which members are accountable to the team and where their evaluations and rewards are also linked to the performance of the team. In addition, although a strong emphasis on quality is considered to be beneficial for new products, as our results indicate, such emphasis cannot create a charged atmosphere. Moreover, our research suggests that if the organization structure does not permit frequent contact between individuals across functional boundaries, the creation of a strongly charged team and development of a successful new product will be hindered. [source] The Structural Error-in-Equation Model to Evaluate Individual BioequivalenceBIOMETRICAL JOURNAL, Issue 5 2005Josep L. Carrasco Abstract Individual bioequivalence is assessed using an extension of the classical structural equation model, known as the error-in-equation model. This procedure estimates the relationship between individual means, as well as the variance-covariance parameters, of the bioavailabilities measurement model, by considering individual means related through a straight line with a random term, whereas the classical structural equation considers a deterministic linear relationship. We discuss the implications of this approach in terms of the bioavailabilities measurement model and how to test the overall hypothesis of individual bioequivalence. Both models are compared in a simulation study and a case example is presented. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Technology, Geography, and TradeECONOMETRICA, Issue 5 2002Jonathan Eaton We develop a Ricardian trade model that incorporates realistic geographic features into general equilibrium. It delivers simple structural equations for bilateral trade with parameters relating to absolute advantage, to comparative advantage (promoting trade), and to geographic barriers (resisting it). We estimate the parameters with data on bilateral trade in manufactures, prices, and geography from 19 OECD countries in 1990. We use the model to explore various issues such as the gains from trade, the role of trade in spreading the benefits of new technology, and the effects of tariff reduction. [source] Topology optimization for stationary fluid,structure interaction problems using a new monolithic formulationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 5 2010Gil Ho Yoon Abstract This paper outlines a new procedure for topology optimization in the steady-state fluid,structure interaction (FSI) problem. A review of current topology optimization methods highlights the difficulties in alternating between the two distinct sets of governing equations for fluid and structure dynamics (hereafter, the fluid and structural equations, respectively) and in imposing coupling boundary conditions between the separated fluid and solid domains. To overcome these difficulties, we propose an alternative monolithic procedure employing a unified domain rather than separated domains, which is not computationally efficient. In the proposed analysis procedure, the spatial differential operator of the fluid and structural equations for a deformed configuration is transformed into that for an undeformed configuration with the help of the deformation gradient tensor. For the coupling boundary conditions, the divergence of the pressure and the Darcy damping force are inserted into the solid and fluid equations, respectively. The proposed method is validated in several benchmark analysis problems. Topology optimization in the FSI problem is then made possible by interpolating Young's modulus, the fluid pressure of the modified solid equation, and the inverse permeability from the damping force with respect to the design variables. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Two-dimensional transonic aeroservoelastic computations in the time domainINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 12 2001L. Djayapertapa Abstract A computational method to perform transonic aeroelastic and aeroservoelastic calculations in the time domain is presented, and used to predict stability (flutter) boundaries of 2-D wing sections. The aerodynamic model is a cell-centred finite-volume unsteady Euler solver, which uses an efficient implicit time-stepping scheme and structured moving grids. The aerodynamic equations are coupled with the structural equations of motion, which are derived from a typical wing section model. A control law is implemented within the aeroelastic solver to investigate active means of flutter suppression via control surface motion. Comparisons of open- and closed-loop calculations show that the control law can successfully suppress the flutter and results in an increase of up to 19 per cent in the allowable speed index. The effect of structural non-linearity, in the form of hinge axis backlash is also investigated. The effect is found to be strongly destabilizing, but the control law is shown to still alleviate the destabilizing effect. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Measurement Equivalence of 360°-Assessment Data: Are different raters rating the same constructs?INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SELECTION AND ASSESSMENT, Issue 3 2007Kelly M. Hannum This study uses data collected using a 360°-assessment instrument to investigate the structural equivalence of 360°-assessment ratings, according to rater type, controlling for organizational level. Data from 533 managers and their raters were employed in the study, which used multi-group structural equations modeling. Issues central to the implementation and use of 360°-assessment data are also considered within the context of current research and practice. [source] The social construction of fairness: social influence and sense making in organizationsJOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR, Issue 1 2002Kai Lamertz This paper explores how the social relationships employees have with peers and managers are associated with perceptions of organizational justice. These relationships are theoretically modelled as the conduits for social comparison, social cues, and social identification, which are sources of sense making about fairness ,in the eyes of the beholder.' It is argued that perceptions of procedural and interactional justice are affected by this type of social information processing because: (1) uncertainty exists about organizational procedures; (2) norms of interpersonal treatment vary between organizational cultures; and (3) interpersonal relationships symbolize membership in the organization. A structural equations model of data from workers in a telecommunications company showed that an employee's perceptions of both procedural and interactional fairness were significantly associated with the interactional fairness perceptions of a peer. In addition, employees' social capital, conceived as the number of relationships with managers, was positively associated with perceptions of interactional fairness. In the structural model, both procedural and interactional justice were themselves significant predictors of satisfaction with managerial maintenance of the employment relationship. The discussion highlights the key role which the fairness of interpersonal treatment appears to play in the formation of justice judgements. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Outlet ownership in franchising systems: an agency based approachMANAGERIAL AND DECISION ECONOMICS, Issue 6 2002Sudhindra Seshadri Building on prior agency theoretic explanations of the franchisor,franchisee relationship, this paper introduces the franchise system manager in the traditional dyadic channel. This allows us to link the franchisors internal agency problems of providing incentives to managers to their external agency problems of acquiring and extracting rents from franchisees. I find preliminary empirical support for this approach in a structural equations model estimated on a franchise system data set. I then develop and analyze an agency-theoretic model with agency tradeoffs. An explicit rationale for mixed ownership in franchising emerges from the model, where the share of company owned outlets is endogenously determined as the tradeoff between franchisee rents and managerial compensation. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] National Identity and Attitude Toward Foreigners in a Multinational State: A ReplicationPOLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2003Jaak Billiet An analysis of the 1995 Belgian General Election Survey indicates that the bipolar national identity variable, which contrasts citizens who identify exclusively with the Belgian nation with those who identify exclusively with the Flemish or Walloon subnation, measures not only the direction but also the intensity of national feelings. Respondents who are located at the middle of the scale tend to have a weak identification with both the nation and the subnation. On the basis of a structural equations modeling approach involving a test of the construct equivalence in the two regions and a control for agreeing-response bias, it is shown that the bipolar national identity variable and attitude toward foreigners are inversely related in Flanders and Wallonia. In Flanders, citizens with a strong subnational identification tend to have a negative attitude toward foreigners; those with a strong Belgian identification are more positive. This relationship became more pronounced after controlling for the respondents' level of education. In Wallonia, a reverse but less pronounced relationship was found. These findings support the hypothesis that the relationship between the variables of national identity and attitude toward foreigners is not intrinsic, but is at least partly determined by the social representation of the nation. [source] An examination of the relationships between leadership style, quality, and employee satisfaction in R&D versus administrative environmentsR & D MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2005Yair Berson Academics and executives argue that effective leadership is a key predictor of R&D success as well as quality management. Recent research highlights transformational leadership as a highly effective style shown to predict performance in organizations. However, no study examined the role of transformational and transactional leadership in building quality climate in R&D versus non-R&D settings. We examined the relationship between leadership style and the establishment of a quality environment in an R&D setting based on an empirical study of 511 research engineers and scientists. It is found that both transformational leadership and transactional contingent-reward leadership are related to the establishment of a quality environment in the R&D part of a telecommunications firm. However, the impact of transactional contingent-reward leadership ceases to be significant once both leadership styles are considered simultaneously using structural equations. A transformational leadership style was also found to be related to employee satisfaction. [source] | ||||||||||||||||