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The Many-faceted Rasch measurement model is used in the creation of a diagnostic instrument by which communication competencies can be calibrated, the severity of observers/raters can be determined, the ability of speakers measured, and comparisons made between various groups.

Purpose - Within the emotional labor (EL) literature, the paper's aim is to test for additional scale distinctions in surface acting and deep acting, using a \"difficult client\" referent. Design/methodology/approach - Working with existing definitions and operationalizations across prior EL studies, an on-line sample of 1,975 massage therapists and bodywork practitioners (M&Bs) was used to test the hypotheses. Hinkin's recommended three steps for scale development: item development, scale development and scale evaluation were applied. The M&B sample was randomly split to carry out exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and then confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). A smaller validation sample of 203 working adults was also tested using EFA. Findings - Convergent support was found for EFA between the M&B and validation samples, as well as between EFA and CFA for the M&B sample. Two types of surface acting could be distinguished, basic surface acting (BSA) and challenged surface acting (CSA), while three types of deep acting could be distinguished, basic deep acting (BDA), perspective taking deep acting (PTDA) and positive refocus deep acting (PRDA). Originality/value - This paper studies a unique sample, massage and body therapists, and the \"difficult client\" stimulus has not been formally tested in prior EL scale work.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Using self-report measures of lateness and absence on pilot and main study samples, this study applied Dalton and Mesch's (1991) measurement approach to successfully \"dissect\" avoidable absence and avoidable lateness behaviors. Avoidable absence behavior was calculated by subtracting unavoidable absence from total absence, and avoidable lateness behavior was calculated by subtracting unavoidable lateness from total lateness. Record-based absence and lateness data, as well as test-retest self-reported absence and lateness data, collected on a subsample of pilot respondents, supported the validity and reliability of this approach. Main sample results included work exhaustion showing stronger positive relationships to absence versus lateness and career commitment exhibiting stronger negative relationships to avoidable lateness and avoidable absence. Two new specific work attitudes, punctuality and sick abuse, were partially successful in explaining lateness and absence behaviors.

In a sample of 196 medical technologists followed over a 4-year period, this study investigated if work-related demand and resource variables were related to subsequent work exhaustion. As hypothesized, increased levels of perceived work interference with family and task load and lower organizational support were related to higher subsequent work exhaustion. Distributive justice, as an intervening variable, had direct and partially mediating effects on work exhaustion. Distributive justice partially mediated the effects of work interfering with family and organizational support on work exhaustion. Distributive justice also mediated the impact of procedural justice on work exhaustion. Study limitations and future research issues are discussed.

Background Although the use of patient-reported outcome measures (PROs) has increased markedly, clinical interpretation of scores remains lacking. We developed a method to identify clinical severity thresholds for pain, fatigue, depression, and anxiety in people with cancer. Methods Using available Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) item bank response data collected on 840 cancer patients, symptom vignettes across a range of symptom severity were developed and placed on index cards. Cards represented symptom severity at five-point intervals differences on the T score metric [mean = 50; standard deviation (SD) = 10]. Symptom vignettes for each symptom were anchored on these standardized scores at 0.5 SD increments across the full range of severity. Clinical experts, blind to the PROMIS score associated with each vignette, rank-ordered the vignettes by severity, then arrived at consensus regarding which two vignettes were at the upper and lower boundaries of normal and mildly symptomatic for each symptom. The procedure was repeated to identify cut scores separating mildly from moderately symptomatic, and moderately from severely symptomatic scores. Clinician severity rankings were then compared to the T scores upon which the vignettes were based. Results For each of the targeted PROs, the severity rankings reached by clinician consensus perfectly matched the numerical rankings of their associated T scores. Across all symptoms, the thresholds (cut scores) identified to differentiate normal from mildly symptomatic were near a T score of 50. Cut scores differentiating mildly from moderately symptomatic were at or near 60, and those separating moderately from severely symptomatic were at or near 70. Conclusions The study results provide empirically generated PROMIS T score thresholds that differentiate levels of symptom severity for pain interference, fatigue, anxiety, and depression. The convergence of clinical judgment with self-reported patient severity scores supports the validity of this methodology to derive clinically relevant symptom severity levels for PROMIS symptom measures in other settings.

This 4-year study examined 165 medical technologists generally in the achievement phase of their careers. After distinguishing between two types of skills, fundamental and complex, different antecedents for each type of skill were found. Prior professional commitment was related positively to fundamental skills, whereas professional withdrawal intent was related negatively. Prior scholarly professional development and job involvement were related positively to complex skills, whereas job insecurity was related negatively. Complex skills time acquisition had a stronger positive relationship to complex skills than the relationship of fundamental skills time acquisition to fundamental skills.

Purpose - Within the emotional labor (EL) literature, the paper's aim is to test for additional scale distinctions in surface acting and deep acting, using a \"difficult client\" referent.Design methodology approach - Working with existing definitions and operationalizations across prior EL studies, an on-line sample of 1,975 massage therapists and bodywork practitioners (M&Bs) was used to test the hypotheses. Hinkin's recommended three steps for scale development: item development, scale development and scale evaluation were applied. The M&B sample was randomly split to carry out exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and then confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). A smaller validation sample of 203 working adults was also tested using EFA.Findings - Convergent support was found for EFA between the M&B and validation samples, as well as between EFA and CFA for the M&B sample. Two types of surface acting could be distinguished, basic surface acting (BSA) and challenged surface acting (CSA), while three types of deep acting could be distinguished, basic deep acting (BDA), perspective taking deep acting (PTDA) and positive refocus deep acting (PRDA).Originality value - This paper studies a unique sample, massage and body therapists, and the \"difficult client\" stimulus has not been formally tested in prior EL scale work.

Using a sample of 250 medical technologists (MTs) over a four-year time period, this study presents initial evidence for differentiating two different facets of benefit satisfaction-basic and career enrichment. Basic benefit satisfaction exhibited stronger relationships to subsequent general benefit satisfaction, organizational withdrawal intent, and turnover behavior, while career enrichment benefit satisfaction exhibited a stronger relationship to subsequent affective organizational commitment.

The projected growth of new technologies, increasing use of automation, and continued consolidation of health-related services suggest that continued study of job insecurity is needed for health care professionals. Using a sample of 178 medical technologists over a 5-year period, this study's findings extend earlier work by Blau and Sharp (2000) and suggest that job loss insecurity, human capital job feature insecurity, and work condition job feature insecurity are related but distinct types of job insecurity. A seven-item measure of job loss insecurity, a four-item measure of human capital job feature insecurity, and a four-item measure of work condition job feature insecurity were analyzed. Confirmatory factor analysis using a more heterogeneous sample of 447 working adults supported this three-factor structure. Using correlation and path analysis, different significant relationships of antecedent variables and subsequent organizational withdrawal cognitions to these three types of job insecurity were found. J Allied Health. 2004; 33:31-41.

Using a sample of 201 medical technologists (MTs) over a five-year period, this study extends initial findings on perceived gender discrimination (PGD) by Blau and Tatum (2000) by applying organizational justice variables and internal-external locus of control as hypothesized correlates of PGD. Three types of organizational justice were measured: distributive, procedural, and interactional. General relationships found include locus of control being related to PGD such that internals perceived lower PGD. Also, distributive, procedural, and interactional justice were negatively related to PGD. However, increasing the time interval between these correlates weakened their relationships. The relationship of interactional justice to PGD remained the most \"resistant\" to attenuation over time.