The supervisory communication-commitment to workgroup model： Example on a Malaysian organization

This study examined the relationship between supervisory communication and commitment to workgroup model in a particular Malaysian organization. We employed structural equation modeling （SEM） statistical procedures. We found that positive relationship communication, upward openness, negative relationship communication and job-relevant communication within superior-subordinate relationships have significant effect on group commitment. Consequences of this finding were discussed and elaborated in this article.     

The Islamic Awakening's Second Wave

Hassan al-Turabi, often referred to as the most significant Muslim cleric since Ayatollah Khomeini, had a central influence during the 1990s on the rise of Sunni Islamist movements across the Middle East and North Africa. He was a mentor of Ayman al-Zawahiri and had a close personal relationship with Osama bin Laden, sponsoring his presence in Sudan before the Al Qaeda leader fled to Afghanistan. Al-Turabi was the ideological force behind the coup led by Omar al-Bashir, with whom he has since fallen out, that brought Islamists to power in Sudan in 1989. As an opposition leader al-Turabi has been in and out of jail for years, most recently over the issue of Darfur.
The soft-spoken philosopher of Islam sat down with me for a lengthy and candid discussion in the summer of 1992. We met in a dilapidated townhouse near DuPont Circle in Washington, where he had come, as it turned out without success, to repair relations with the United States.     

The significance of Cancún

This paper discusses the effects of feminism, nationalism and colonialism on modern Arab women. These three elements are seen as interconnected in the Arab world, as in many other developing countries. However, even though early Arab feminist consciousness developed hand in hand with national consciousness, feminism is an indigenous product of Arabic political and socioeconomic dynamics. The colonialist and counter‐colonialist representations of Arab women need to be challenged. And observers must see that Arab women's need for positive change is no more nor less than that of women anywhere else.     

An unusual accidental death from positional asphyxia

Death from postural or positional asphyxia takes place in circumstances when the victim's body assumes an abnormal position compromising the process of respiration. The diagnosis is usually based on circumstantial evidence in conjunction with excluding other significant underlying causes of death. This case report is about a 37-year-old man who had been drinking the previous night and was found dead in the morning in a knee-chest position. The forensic medical examiner had the opportunity to examine and photograph the scene of death while the body was still in its original position. Apart from a blood alcohol level of 290 mg/100 mL, marked congestion of the face, and petechial hemorrhages on the conjunctivae, autopsy findings were unremarkable. There were no injuries or pathological findings to account for his death. Death was certified as due to postural asphyxia secondary to intoxication by alcohol.     

Does Ethical Leadership Matter in Government? Effects on Organizational Commitment,Absenteeism, and Willingness to Report Ethical Problems

Recent ethical scandals involving managers in government organizations have highlighted the need for more research on ethical leadership in public sector organizations. To assess the consequences of ethical leadership, 161 managers in a large state government agency and 415 of their direct reports were surveyed, and personnel records were obtained to measure absenteeism. Results indicate that after controlling for the effects of employee characteristics, perceptions of procedural fairness, and supportive leader behavior, ethical leadership reduced absenteeism and had a positive influence on organizational commitment and willingness to report ethical problems. Implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are presented.