The Paradox of Positive Self-Concept and Low Achievement Among Black and Latinx Youth: A Test of Psychological Explanations

Probing gaps in educational outcomes within the U.S.: A dual moderation multiple mediator latent growth model

Racial/ethnic disparities in math achievement are especially troubling because math proficiency predicts long-term educational outcomes, but the mechanisms underlying these disparities remain unclear. Previous research has demonstrated that across diverse samples, both within and outside the United States, the relation between students' academic aspirations and later postsecondary attainment is mediated by initial levels of math ability and by growth in that ability across time. The key issue examined in this investigation is the extent to which students' underestimation or overestimation of their math ability (i.e., calibration bias) moderates those mediated effects and whether this moderation varies as a function of race/ethnicity. Using data from two longitudinal national surveys (i.e., NELS:88 and HSLS:09), these hypotheses were tested in samples of East Asian American, Mexican American, and Non-Hispanic White American high school students. In both studies and in all groups, the model explained large portions of the variance in postsecondary attainment. In East Asian Americans and non-Hispanic White Americans, calibration bias moderated the effect mediated by 9th grade math achievement. The strength of this effect was greatest at high levels of underconfidence and steadily weakened as self-confidence grew, suggesting that some degree of underconfidence may be achievement-promoting. Indeed, in the East Asian American sample, this effect became negative at high levels of overconfidence (i.e., academic aspirations actually predicted the lowest postsecondary attainment levels). Educational implications of these findings are discussed and possible reasons for the failure to find moderation effects in the Mexican American sample are explored.

The role of senior managers’ positive self-image in supporting MIS implementation

Purpose

Researchers have long been interested in how the psychology of senior managers affects their behaviours. This paper aims to present the results of a questionnaire into how positive self-image influences how well senior managers in UK manufacturing organisations support the implementation of management information system (MIS). This study developed two scales, one to measure senior managers’ attitudes and the other to measure support of MIS implementation. It also sought to investigate the impact of senior managers’ positive self-image on their support of MIS implementation in UK manufacturing organisations.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors tested the hypotheses on a data set of 400 senior managers from UK manufacturing organisations. Two unidimensional scales to measure senior managers’ attitude and support level towards MIS implementation were developed. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to validate the scales. The study also examined the impact of senior managers’ positive self-image on their attitude and support from the perspective of UK manufacturing organisations by using structural equation modelling.

Findings

The study found that senior managers’ positive self-image is a significant contributing factor to their attitude. Also, senior managers’ attitude has a strong positive impact on their support in the MIS implementation process. A strong mediating relationship was found to exist between senior managers’ positive self-image and support through their attitude towards MIS implementation.

Originality/value

Although past literature has examined the importance of senior managers’ attitude and support in successful MIS implementation, there has been no specific scale around management support and attitude towards MIS implementation developed to date. Thus, a contribution of this study is its development of two new scales based on a survey of senior managers of UK manufacturing organisations. The scales can be used to evaluate senior managers’ perception towards MIS implementation and the support they are willing to give whilst implementing MIS. Another contribution of this study is the analysis of positive self-image via item-parcelling which improves model efficiency and provides more stable estimates of the construct.