Browsing by Subject "Competence"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Activin signaling promotes the competence of the prothoracic gland during Drosophila metamorphosis
    (2010-08) Gibbens, Ying Ye
    In insects, the timing of metamorphosis is modulated by a large titer of the steroid hormone ecdysone produced by the prothoracic gland. However, the molecular mechanisms that control production of the ecdysone titer are not completely understood. Here we show that blocking Activin signaling in Drosophila prothoracic gland causes developmental arrest prior to metamorphosis. This defect is due to the absence of the ecdysone titer, a likely consequence of reduced expression of the ecdysone biosynthetic enzymes. We further demonstrate that Activin signaling may regulate the competence of the prothoracic gland to respond to prothoracicotropic hormone and insulin, two hormonal signals that have been shown to trigger ecdysone synthesis. These findings suggest that Activin signaling is required for insect metamorphosis by providing competence that allows tissue- and stage-specific response to metamorphic stimuli.
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    Developing (Inter)cultural Competence through Foreign Language Learning: Turning Promises into Practices
    (2018-06) Baden, Elizabeth
    I intend to explore the link between language and culture and how that transfers to developing (inter)cultural competence in the foreign language classroom with special attention to French at various learner levels but particularly within higher education in the United States. (Inter)cultural competence provides an overarching and balanced perspective for interacting appropriately in culturally diverse settings; however, research on its relationship with second language acquisition has been minimal to date despite its acceptance within the U.S. foreign language teaching curriculum. As international mobility (i.e. travel, study abroad, immigration etc.) is becoming progressively accessible, (inter)cultural competence is essential to building peaceful relationships among diverse groups of people locally, nationally, and internationally. While this skill set is essential in today’s global context, the wide-ranging claim that learning a second language provides a framework towards developing (inter)cultural competence in the classroom is problematic without further research to comprehensively integrate and assess it as a foreign language learner goal
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    Exploring the nomological net of trust in leadership: an empirical examination of antecedents, moderators, and outcomes
    (2012-12) Rasch, Rena Lenore
    To fully understand human interactions in the workplace, we must understand the role trust plays. My dissertation is a general investigation of trust between subordinates and leaders within an organizational context. Using a diverse sample of US employees, I examined the relative importance of three key trust determinants: leader benevolence, competence, and integrity. I also examined the role trait trust plays in the trust nomological net. I examined previously posited, yet untested, moderators of the trustworthiness-trust relationship. Lastly, I tested the contextual effects of risk and formal controls on the relationship between employees' trust in leadership and their turnover intentions. I found an individual's propensity to trust seems to affect trust in leadership through perceptions of leader trustworthiness. Leaders can inspire trust by being capable, kind, and honest. Leader integrity is the most important direct determinant of trust in leadership. Despite theoretical arguments, relationship length and job complexity have no bearing on the importance of the direct determinants of trust in leadership. A manager may use trust to influence his/her staff, who are more willing to assume risk on their manager's behalf. Trust may act as a substitute for costly and rigid formal control mechanisms, like legal contracts. Despite theoretical arguments, situational risk in the form of organizational change, whether perceived or actual, does not magnify the importance of trust in leadership to turnover intentions. Still, trust in leadership is important to predicting turnover intentions, even beyond job satisfaction and organizational commitment.
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    An initial study to develop instruments and validate the Essential Competencies for Program Evaluators (ECPE)
    (2012-06) Wilcox, Yuanjing
    Contemporary program evaluation emerged in the 1960s with the unprecedented Great Society programs. Over the past half of a century, program evaluation has clearly developed, yet it has not developed into a full-fledged profession. Unlike many established professions, program evaluation does not have certification or licensure for evaluators and cannot exclude unqualified persons from the profession. Evaluator competencies are one of the underpinning foundations of professional designation. Evaluator competencies demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required in program evaluators. The Essential Competencies for Program Evaluators, developed by King et al. (2001) and revised by Stevahn et al. (2005), were one of the first efforts at specifying evaluator competencies. The purpose of this study was to develop instruments (a web-based survey and interview protocol) to initially validate the Essential Competencies for Program Evaluators using Messick's (1989, 1995a, 1995b) concept of unitary validity as a framework. The validated evaluator competencies can be used to enhance the professionalization of the field of evaluation.