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The increasing use of technology in personal and professional environments has led to the development of an information technology (IT) identity, which describes the extent to which individuals view IT as integral to their sense of self. Further, technology paradoxes describe the contradictory nature of IT, which can lead to behavioral disengagement, causing significant disruptions in enterprise digitization. To better understand the interrelationships of IT identity, technological paradoxes, and user behavior, the study develops a theory-based model to explore the interplay between IT identity and technology paradoxes and their effects on behavioral disengagement. The findings reveal that IT identity mitigates the perception of technology paradoxes and impacts coping behaviors. We contribute to literature by quantifying and validating their effects and suggesting opportunities for future research. That way, practitioners can develop more effective strategies for promoting engagement and addressing disengagement among employees or users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital technologies are omnipresent in our professional and personal lives. While they provide manifold potentials, digital technologies also cause tensions. Many of these tensions are of paradox nature – they confront individuals with conflicting, yet synergetic and interdependent, alternatives that persist over time. Coping with tensions by unlocking their potential through a paradox mindset has become an increasingly valuable capability. By using a qualitative research design and applying a paradox lens to the interview data from middle managers, this study explores the tensions that managers perceive in the increasingly digital workplace. We find empirical support for a previously identified paradox (the autonomy paradox) and we identify additional paradoxical tensions, which increase with rising exposure to digital technologies – the information, interaction, opportunity, and engagement paradoxes. Furthermore, our results indicate a nested, meta-paradoxical nature of the engagement and opportunity paradoxes that combine a wide variety of tensions in an overarching theme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managers of product development organizations have to cope with multiple -- and often fluctuating and conflicting -- demands and tensions as they seek to maintain R&D performance and, at the same time, foster learning and innovation. This causes a learning paradox, in which the R&D organization is expected to have good capabilities for innovation and learning, while delivering the highest performance possible. In this paper, we study how the managers of geographically dispersed R&D subsidiaries cope with conflicting tensions between learning and performance involving a qualitative case study of six R&D subsidiaries located in Finland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to explore the coping with disease in adolescents with type 1 diabetes in its complexity - from the viewpoint of emotional distress, perception of the disease, and equally that of preferred coping strategies in the context of differing levels of metabolic compensation. Set of questionnaires consisting of Big Five Inventory (BFI), Brief-Cope, Problem Areas in Diabetes Questionnaire (PAID), Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ) and Diabetes Adolescent Problem Solving Questionnaire (DAPSQ) was used. Differences between different groups of adolescents with type 1 diabetes were detected in the usage of coping strategies in utilizing the strategy of giving up. Difference in usage of problem solving was confirmed in "awareness" and "revision". Significant correlation between perception of the disease and utilization of the strategy focused on problem solving was found as well as correlation between emotional distress and problem-solving. Different aspects of coping with the disease in patients with type 1 diabetes significantly influence each other; patients with insufficient compensation are at risk of serious complications, those with excellent compensation, are exposed to high levels of emotional distress and the risk of burnout. Reinforcement of competences through education contributes to an increase in awareness of treatment, realization and saturation of psycho-social and cultural needs, as well as to a greater extent of taking over the responsibility of treatment and self-care that has a positive impact on shortterm and long-term results alike. Therefore, it is very important that specialists from different fields cooperate with individuals with diabetes and their parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While existing studies deal with stress involved in the work-family relation [1], [2], this research includes the academic education (as a cognitive-didactic activity) as a third element of this relation, manifesting itself simultaneously with the other two (given that the continuous education is more and more present). The general objective was to analyze the above-mentioned relation considering variables such as level of stress, coping strategies, gender, profile of the university and educational results. The research method was the questionnaire-based survey, using the Personal Evaluation Inventory for Stress [3], the COPE questionnaire [4] and the Work-Family Conflict Scale [5]; the educational results were evaluated using the students' marks. The subjects were 88 university students, 44 being unemployed, having neither a family/long-time relationship nor children, while 44 had a stable workplace and a family/long-time relationship and children. The results showed that those employed and with a family/long-time relationship and children had a higher level of stress (M=122, SD=31) than those involved only in universitary activity (M=81, SD=25) - statistically significant results (t=38.45, df=86, p<0.01). Male subjects had higher levels of the work-family conflict (N=42; M=14,11; SD=3,58) than female ones (N=46; M=12,06; SD=2,64) - statistically significant differences (t=0,65; df=86; p<0,05). Students of the Polytechnic University had the highest mean of the work-family conflict results (M=15,22; SD=5,31; N=29), followed by those of the Sociology and Social Assistance (M=11,29; SD=3,84; N=29) and finally by those of Psychology (M=10,33; SD=2,88; N=30); the differences were statistically significant (F=18,46; p<0,05). The work-family conflict significantly and positively correlated to college marks (r=0.72, p<0.01) and significantly and negatively to the following coping styles: planning (r=-0.71), eliminating concurrent activities (r=-0.66) and searching for instrumental support (r=-0.52). There were positive correlations with denial (r=0.51) and using alcohol/drugs (r=63) also. The results should be considered with caution as other mediator variables (personality traits, emotional intelligence, familial/relationship support etc.) were not analyzed - a future research being intended in order to include those variables as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research seeks to explore the experiences of Latina/o students in special education, with a particular focus on social stigma and the role of gender in mediating stigmatizing experiences. In this paper, I draw upon three academic semesters of ethnographic observations and in-depth interviews with twenty Latina/o students in special education to understand the forms of stigma students experience: direct, assumed, and indirect. An analysis of the role of gender was applied to the research findings in order to demonstrate the way Latina females engaged in "intentional disregard" of stigmatizing experiences, and Latino males provided "alternative frames" in response to stigmatizing experiences. Latina/o students in special education also sought support and inspiration from their parents in families as they developed post-secondary aspirations as a pathway to social mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is about breakdown that occurs within the contextual frame of elderly aging in place by support of innovative welfare technology. The paper presents use of Activity Theory as a constructive framework to explore laypeople experiences with occurrences of breakdown including the subsequent coping mechanisms for recovery from such. Findings in the study display that articulation work plays an essential role to manage temporary workarounds or to accomplish recovery from breakdowns. Additionally is it sought for a minimum system requirement for robust infrastructure and high availability of services in order to prevent occurrences of medium to complete breakdowns as they in worst cases may harm the life and health of elderly aging in place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The asynchronous learning environment is characterized by complexities such as maintaining proficiency with organizational and technology changes, class management, perceptions of isolation, and classroom performance review. The purpose of this research is to identify and describe stress management techniques used by University of Phoenix (UOPX) online faculty to counteract identified stressors associated with teaching in the online environment. The isolation, depersonalization, and low sense of personal accomplishment reported by online faculty contribute to stress, burnout, and retention problems. Faculty burnout results in the loss of experienced faculty and increased costs associated with the recruitment of replacement faculty. The loss of experienced faculty can inhibit quality of learning, and contribute to student attrition. Since work-related stress and time-management in the asynchronous learning environment require online faculty to employ a wide variety of coping techniques, this study may help online faculty develop or expand current strategies that are effective in dealing with stress associated with teaching in the asynchronous online learning environment. This quantitative correlational case study will examine coping strategies used by University of Phoenix online faculty to decrease their stress load. The status variable for this study's research is stress. The independent variables are identified as common stressors for University of Phoenix online faculty include (a) maintaining proficiency with organizational and technology changes; (b) class management; (c) isolation and (d) classroom performance review. The dependent variables are coping mechanisms commonly used to manage stressors. Data will be collected by administering a voluntary, anonymous, online survey to be distributed through email. The survey instrument will gather data on the coping methods used for the different types of stressors typical for the online learning environment. Current research indicates that faculty coping mechanisms include talking with others, physical/recreational activities, support groups/mental health counselors, self-destructive behaviors, such as increased alcohol and other substance use, self-awareness, self-reflection, and project management. Results of this study may contribute to increased faculty retention, improved student performance, and more effective and faculty workshops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Question Over a decade now, empowering individuals at the bottomof- the-pyramid (BOP), the untapped segment of 4-5 billion people earning less than $2 a day, has been a focus for policy makers and corporations alike. Several companies have made this BOP segment a central part of their business models because they provide the dual benefits of (1) representing a viable and potentially profitable segment and (2) the innovations designed to cater to this segment serve as a competitive advantage (Prahalad, 2004). Despite the significance of this segment, examining how their poverty can be alleviated by addressing consumption and well-being issues has received little attention. Specifically, there has been limited academic research (e.g., exchange relationships: Viswanathan, Rosa, and Ruth, 2010; life satisfaction: Martin and Hill, 2012) that has dwelled on such issues. The objective of this research is to advance this body of work by examining the notion of "consumer vulnerability" (the state of powerlessness as a result of the lack of vital resources and capabilities) as perceived by BOP consumers and the role of dependencies on social relationships and religiosity beliefs of BOP consumers. Summary of Findings Our findings suggest that BOP consumers utilize social relationships and religiosity to cope with their vulnerability, and, interestingly, these two coping mechanisms are only effective for BOP consumers and not for non-BOP consumers. In terms of public policy, these findings offer valuable rationale for community development programs that are implemented in various developing countries and remind policy makers of the significance of social relationships and religiosity for BOP communities in poverty alleviation. Key Contributions This paper makes two important contributions to the literature: (1) it digs deeper into the notion of consumer vulnerability among impoverished BOP consumers and highlights how the mechanisms underlying vulnerability vary from their counterparts in the rest of the pyramid (non-BOP), and (2) uncovers two coping mechanisms (i.e., social relationships and religiosity) that play a pivotal role in overcoming the vulnerable circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]