DePaul University

About: DePaul University is a education organization based out in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 5658 authors who have published 11562 publications receiving 295257 citations.

The Adoption Time Period for Some Transportation Innovations

Abstract: Six transportation firms one in each mode participated in an exploratory study to investigate factors that influence the time lag in decision making over the adoption and implementation stages for innovation. For a sample of 32 innovations, the single best predictor of the amount of time required to progress from one stage of the decision-making process to the next was the cost of the innovation R2 = 0.23, p < 0.01, and a total of four valid predictors cost, complexity, of the innovation, organizational risk-taking climate, and union reaction account for about 42% of the variance R2 in the innovation and adoption time period. A recursive, multi-stage path model was constructed and in general it was found that secondary innovation attributes act as intervening variables for the influence of climate, union reaction, and government regulation and intervention on the innovation and adoption time period. The results of the study suggest that the key leverage point at the firm level for influencing the adoption time period is the risk-taking climate of an organization. If an organization climate exists or can be created which is characterized as supporting calculated risks, then, significantly, the following impacts are likely to occur: 1 the relative advantage necessary for consideration and adoption will be lower than for more conservative firms, but this lower required relative advantage will also stimulate RDE 2 innovations considered for adoption are likely to have fewer concrete performance criteria; and 3 innovations are likely to be viewed as less complex but more time will be required to reduce this complexity through learning. The results of the study also suggest that individuals with high risk-taking propensity will not be a sufficient single condition to change or alter the risk-taking climate of an organization. The conversion from a conservative climate to one supporting calculated risk is obviously not an easy matter nor is it likely to happen in a short period of time. It is likely to be the product of a group or team-building effort, recognizing the value of diversity in organization membership. Individuals seem to stimulate the innovation process most when a recent manpower flow is involved; that is, the crossing of an organizational boundary by a key organizational member coming to the organization or department of the transportation firm. Influencing the risk-taking climate of an organization alone will not have an impact on the perceived compatibility of the innovations considered for adoption nor the relative ease of testing or trying innovations on a limited basis, even though these two innovation attributes vary significantly and directly. One possible explanation for this result is that during the trial period, the innovation is modified to make it more compatible with organization constraints. Based on the results of this study, with a limited sample of transportation innovations, some mechanism other than organization climate will have to be sought to achieve a fit between innovation, organization and environment. The significant findings of this study do not immediately suggest this approach. Concerning innovation policy and government intervention and action which influences the adoption process, several implications from these data are apparent. First, government action has the least pervasive influence in a model of adoption time period, which suggests that the influence of government actions might be on other aspects of the adoption process: for example, the type of innovations that are considered, the agenda for decision making and an organizational mechanism which builds slowly over time to cope with government in a classically regulated industry. Second, there is some evidence, albeit weak, that government action can have a long-range impact on the adoption process by drawing attention to particular innovations or reordering decision-making or spending priorities or perhaps by increasing the consistency of agency treatments of firms.

Stigma and intellectual disability: potential application of mental illness research.

Abstract: Purpose Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) and individuals with mental illness are consistently found to be among the most socially excluded populations and continue to face substantial health, housing, and employment disparities due to stigma. Although this has spurred extensive research efforts and theoretical advancements in the study of stigma toward mental illness, the stigma of ID has received only limited attention. In this article we explore the application of mental illness stigma research for ID. Design We carefully reviewed the existing research on mental illness stigma as a foundation for a parallel summary of the empirical literature on attitudes and stigma related to ID. Results Based on our review, there has not been a systematic approach to the study of stigma toward ID. However, multilevel conceptual models of stigma have received much attention in the mental illness literature. These models have been used to inform targeted interventions and have application to the study of the stigma process for individuals with ID. Nonetheless, there are indeed key differences between-as well as substantial variability within-the ID and mental illness populations that must be considered. Conclusions Stigma is an issue of social justice impacting the lives of individuals with ID, yet there remains virtually no systematic framework applied to the understanding of the stigma process for this group. Future research can draw on the stigma models developed in the mental illness literature to guide more rigorous research efforts and ultimately the development of effective, multilevel stigma-change strategies for ID.

Big data in humanitarian supply chain networks: a resource dependence perspective

Abstract: Humanitarian operations in developing world settings present a particularly rich opportunity for examining the use of big data analytics. Focal non-governmental organizations (NGOs) often synchronize the delivery of services in a supply chain fashion by aligning recipient community needs with resources from various stakeholders (nodes). In this research, we develop a resource dependence model connecting big data analytics to superior humanitarian outcomes by means of a case study (qualitative) of twelve humanitarian value streams. Specifically, we identify the nodes in the network that can exert power on the focal NGOs based upon the respective resources being provided to ensure that sufficient big data is being created. In addition, we are able to identify how the type of data attribute, i.e., volume, velocity, veracity, value, and variety, relates to different forms of humanitarian interventions (e.g., education, healthcare, land reform, disaster relief, etc.). Finally, we identify how the various types of data attributes affect humanitarian outcomes in terms of deliverables, lead-times, cost, and propagation. This research presents evidence of important linkages between the developmental body of knowledge and that of resource dependence theory (RDT) and big data analytics. In addition, we are able to generalize RDT assumptions from the multi-tiered supply chains to distributed networks. The prescriptive nature of the findings can be used by donor agencies and focal NGOs to design interventions and collect the necessary data to facilitate superior humanitarian outcomes.

“Out-of-the-Mainstream” Youth as Partners in Collaborative Research: Exploring the Benefits and Challenges:

Abstract: Forming collaborations between university-based researchers and community-based organizations (CBOs) serves to improve health promotion research and service. Unfortunately, members of the targeted populations are typically not included in such collaborations. This article describes the development and maintenance of a successful university-CBO collaboration that was formed to explore HIV-related risk rates and prevention strategies for suburban street youth and discusses the benefits and challenges of including out-of-the-mainstream youth as full collaborative partners in the research. Specific benefits included population-specific modifications of the research methods and instruments, recruitment of hard-to-reach youth, greater ease in tracking participants, and increased project acceptability and credibility. Among the challenges were issues related to boundaries, confidentiality, commitment, and burnout. Although such collaborations require increased time and commitment, the synergistic knowledge and experience of university researchers, community-based service providers, and out-of-the-mainstream youth can result in the development of unique and informative research and service programs.