University of Memphis

About: University of Memphis is a education organization based out in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 7710 authors who have published 20082 publications receiving 611618 citations. The organization is also known as: U of M.

Does professional training make a therapist more effective

Abstract: Jeffrey S. Berman and Nicholas C. NortonUniversity of Texas at AustinIn a recent review, Hattie, Sharpley, and Rogers (1984) concluded that patientstreated by paraprofessional therapists improve more than those treated by profes-sionals. However, this provocative conclusion is based on inappropriate studies andstatistical analyses. The present review omitted problematic studies and organizedthe data to permit valid statistical inference. Unlike Hattie et al., we found thatprofessional and paraprofessional therapists were generally equal in effectiveness.Our analyses also suggested that professionals may be better for brief treatmentsand older patients, although these differences were slight. Current research evidencedoes not indicate that paraprofessionals are more effective, but neither does it revealany substantial superiority for the professionally trained therapist.In his 1952 critique Eysenck noted the lackof evidenc e for the efficacy of psychotherapy,and he concluded that it would be prematureto formulate guidelines for training psycho-therapists. During the intervening years, re-searchers have responded to Eysenck's chal-lenge by demonstrating convincingly that pa-tients who undergo psychotherapy improvemore than those who do not receive treatment(e.g., see Shapiro & Shapiro, 1982; Smith,Glass, & Miller, 1980). However, such evidenceconcerning the efficacy of psychotherapy doesnot necessarily indicate the usefulness ofprofessional training programs. For instance,psychotherapy with highly trained therapistsmight not result in outcomes that are any bet-ter than those obtained by untrained thera-pists. To gauge the benefits of professionaltraining, we also need to know whether trainedtherapists are more effective than those withoutsuch training.One prominent assessment of this issue wasprovided by Durlak (1979), who reviewedstudies comparing professional therapists withparaprofessionals having no formal training.

Linking Perceived Quality and Customer Satisfaction to Store Traffic and Revenue Growth

Abstract: Effects of perceived merchandise and service quality, relative to competition, on retail store performance are investigated using store traffic and revenue growth as outcome variables. A model is proposed and tested using aggregate customer data and store performance outcomes from a group of stores owned by a national retail organization. Results suggest that both service and merchandise quality exert significant influence on store performance, measured by sales growth and customer growth, and their impact is mediated by customer satisfaction. Implications of the results and future research directions are discussed.

Strategies for online communities

Abstract: This study examines the participation of firms in online communities as a means to enhance demand for their products. We begin with theoretical arguments and then develop a simulation model to illustrate how demand evolves as a function of interpersonal communication and a firm's chosen strategy. In this model, the firm's strategy involves allocating advocates who promote its product in online communities. Our model results point to some key parameters informing firms' strategies when social learning processes shape demand. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Internationalization and Organizational Growth: The Impact of Internet Usage and Technology Involvement Among Entrepreneur-led Family Businesses:

Abstract: For many years, large, multinational corporations were thought to dominate international business. It was recently recognized that a number of entrepreneurial and family firms are active in the international arena (Oviatt & McDougall, 1994). Using data from a U.S. survey of entrepreneur-led family businesses, this paper examines the extent to which certain entrepreneurial characteristics, Internet usage, and investments in information technology influence internationalization and organizational growth among such firms. The results of regression analyses identify variables leading to success in the emerging global economy and their differential impact on these performance outcomes.