A critical evaluation of the Downs-Hazen instrument (CSQ) by measuring employee communication satisfaction at a private higher education institution in South Africa

Abstract

The aim of this article is to provide a critical evaluation of the Downs-Hazen instrument (Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire) (CSQ) by applying it to the measurement of employee communication satisfaction at a private higher education institution in South Africa. Three communication satisfaction dimensions, consisting of eight constructs, were measured. The results indicated that although employees are satisfied with their relationship with superiors, a need exists for improved communication on the psychological atmosphere in the organisation; the information employees receive about their immediate work environments, meetings and written directives; horizontal and informal communication that is accurate and free flowing; information about the organisation as a whole; as well as the way in which employees are being judged and appraised.

A final conclusion is that the Downs-Hazen CSQ is still applicable even though it was first developed almost 30 years ago. Furthermore, the adjustments to items in this study did not affect the reliability of the adapted questionnaire.     

Navigating the System: A How-To Guide for Implementing a Kinship Navigator Program

This article describes key programmatic and evaluation elements that guided the implementation of the San Diego County YMCA Kinship Navigator Program. A 3-year demonstration project funded by the Administration on Children Youth and Families designed to build a regional navigator system in collaboration with the local child welfare agency to support kinship caregivers. Kinship caregivers (relatives and non-relatives) play a significant role in the well-being of the children in their care. The findings suggest that successfully implemented kinship navigator models are a viable preventive intervention for addressing the needs of kinship families.     

The Contingent Public Value of ‘Good Design’: Regulating the Aesthetics of the Australian Urban Built Environment

The proposition that the urban built environment can, and indeed should, be made more visually attractive is a long‐standing feature of the governance of Australian cities. In this vein, this paper examines how ‘good design’ in terms of visual aesthetics is currently pursued including through the development assessment process and the work of government architects. The paper begins by tracing the background of contemporary regulatory practice from long‐standing ideas around beauty and its value through to the urban design movement of today. Next, it considers in more detail various rationales for aesthetic governance and what might be better forms of regulatory practice. In short, it will be argued that while there can be scope for regulation to deliver superior outcomes, this practice must be sensitive to a high degree of contingency in what the public values and that deliberate empirical inquiry into the latter is desirable.     

创业教育：中学生职业生涯规划的有效载体

职业生涯规划作为我国教育体系的基础课程之一,承担着新一代公民有关“人的改造和发展”的战略任务,也越来越受到基础教育领域的重视。而伴随着课程的发展,其滞后性和片面性也进一步显现。创业教育作为我国发展中的热点教育领域,与中学职业生涯规划课程有着较强的融合性和互通性。以创业教育为载体,可以有效提升中学生职业生涯规划的针对性、目的性和实效性。     

Conflict Assessment in Energy Infrastructure Siting: Prospects for Consensus Building in the Northern Pass Transmission Line Project

As energy demand grows rapidly worldwide, power line infrastructure will continue to be a major development planning challenge. This study considers the environmental conflict that has arisen over a transnational transmission line project between Canada and the United States. A qualitative conflict assessment is presented to define the parameters for consensus that could prevent protracted litigation between stakeholders. Proactively designing a process to encourage consensus building during the early development phase remains the most critical determinant of compromise. In this article, we argue that in this case a consensus‐building effort could be feasible if certain design requirements were met, including gaining the participation of key stakeholders, paying attention to trust, and focusing on the issues specific to this transmission line rather than to a larger energy discussion. The research shows that despite potential pitfalls, reaching more widely accepted and ecologically sensitive solutions to environmental conflicts through participatory and collaborative approaches is possible and worth the effort.     

退休政策的经济学分析及调整

退休政策通过影响劳动力的投入和养老负担对社会产出和就业人口、退休人口的福利水平产生影响，因此要对退休政策进行调整须进行较为充分的经济论证。研究对单人经济的退休年龄分析显示：存在一个基于个人一生效用最大化的“最佳”退休年龄，可合理平衡一生总产出和退休后的休闲。同理，一个多人经济社会也存在一个平均的“最佳”退休年龄。研究的结论如下：现有的退休年龄政策背景下，中国将面临日益沉重的养老负担，说明中国的退休年龄政策亟须调整；延迟退休年龄至少在长期对就业无负面影响，且可增加GDP:将暂时多余的社保基金用于金融投资无助于社会养老负担的缓解，养老金空账运行并无问题。为完善中国的退休政策，研究提出适时延长退休年龄、提高养老金标准和降低养老保险费率、对职工上缴的养老保险实施记账等建议。     

Financial Literacy and Retirement Planning among Government Officers in Malaysia

ABSTRACT

This study examines the level of financial literacy, financial behaviour and retirement planning behaviour and its dynamics among Malaysian government officers involving 320 employees working in the federal government administrative centre in Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur using a questionnaire. Findings show high level of financial literacy, good financial behaviour but a mediocre in retirement planning behaviour, and only education and personal income positively influence financial literacy. Age and gender of officers do not influence financial literacy. Furthermore, financial literacy does not correlate with retirement planning and neither does it mediate the relationship between financial behaviour and retirement planning.     

The Role of Non -Economic Drivers in Development Planning: The Case of South Korea and Turkey

ABSTRACT

The relationships between economic growth and planning strategies have been debated in different disciplines of social science. However, the emphasis has been more on structural and theoretical assumptions of planning and economics at the expense of other important non-economic and institutional factors that include social, cultural, political, and administrative dimensions. To explain the different approaches and outcomes of development planning, one needs to examine other factors that influence the nature of these plans and why they have been adopted. Using rigorous systematic and thematic review of government reports, academic publications and data from international organizations, this comparative study reveal the unique role non-economic factors play in countries’ development. It has been revealed that these factors not only influence the nature of planning strategies adopted by governments but also affect how these plans are implemented. Since South Korea and Turkey have achieved impressive economic growth over the last half a century, they have been selected as a case study to examine the role non-economic factors in their respective developments.     

论信息时代的媒体定位策划

在当今传媒业竞争激烈的态势下,媒体战略策划的得当与否决定着自身的兴衰存亡。这就要求媒体市场定位策划,必须考察和实现受众需求;媒体内容定位策划,要注重培养核心竞争力;媒体目标定位策划,需要培养和确立品牌。     

对城中村改造的思考

改革开放后,国民经济得到了迅猛发展,城市化进程大大加快,但由于社会管理具有相对经济发展的滞后性,农村就业、户籍、社会保障等政策没有相应程度的改变,造成了现在的种种遗留问题。为此,应制定城市房地产发展政策,聚积资金,逐步实施改造,定位于发展廉租公寓,根据城市规划的要求,将新村纳入整个城市发展空间,多方筹集改造资金,改革集体资产产权制度,建立股份公司,对转制后的城中村,统一实行社会化管理。