This paper seeks to examine transformational and transactional leadership, employees’ organizational citizenship behavior, employees’ job satisfaction and perceived organizational sup­port; which are employees' organizational citizenship behavior associations. In addition, this study explores the mediating role of employees’ job satisfaction and perceived organizational support in the relationship between transformational and transactional leadership styles and employees’ organizational citizenship behavior. The study was conducted at the University of Birjand, Iran, on a sample of 250 employees. This research follows a descriptive and correlational approach. Our findings show that transformational leadership and employees’ job satisfaction and perceived organizational support positively and significantly influence employees’ organizational citizen-ship behavior. Additionally, results revealed that employees’ job satisfaction mediates the asso­ciation between transformational and transactional leadership and employees’ organizational citizenship behavior. Moreover, employees perceived organizational support mediates the asso­ciation between transformational and transactional leadership and employees’ organizational citi­zenship behavior. Iranian organizations, especially universities, should invest in transformational leadership and job satisfaction, as well as in the selection of managers with transformational lead­ership styles and employees who are eager to work at the university, in order to enrich the organi­zational citizenship behavior of employees.

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Background. Meaning in life is one of the psychological domains that is most severely affected in patients with life-threatening illnesses. The importance of meaning-making mandates the development of reliable tools to assess this construct. Steger’s Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) is one of the most valid and reliable instruments that determines the search for and presence of meaning in life. The present study was conducted to provide psychometric data on the MLQ in a sample of patients with life-threatening illnesses. Methods. The MLQ was completed by 301 patients (aged 20–80 years) diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses (cancer and multiple sclerosis) and referred to hospitals. Confirmatory factor analysis and Pearson’s correlation test were used to determine the construct validity of the questionnaire. Results. The confirmatory factor analysis supported the original two-factor model of the MLQ, comprised of the presence of meaning (five items) and search for meaning (five items). The responses to the MLQ did not differ by sociodemographic factors. Most importantly, contrary to previous findings, the correlation between the two subscales, i.e., search for meaning and presence of meaning, was significant and positive. Conclusion. The results showed that the MLQ is a valid and reliable measure for assessing meaning in life that can be applied in research on meaning in life among other patient populations.

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Background Any loss or deviation in body function and structure is considered impairment, whereas limitations on activities are fundamental to the definition of disability. Although it seems intuitive that the two should be closely related, this might not be the case; there is some evidence that psychosocial factors are more important determinants of disability than are objective impairments. However, the degree to which this is the case has been incompletely explored.Questions/purposes The purpose of this study was to determine if disability (as measured by the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand [DASH] and the Michigan Hand Questionnaire [MHQ]) and pain intensity correlate with impairment (as measured by the American Medical Association [AMA] impairment guide). Secondary study questions addressed the effect of pain intensity and symptom of depression on predicting disability. Methods Impairment and disability were evaluated in a sample of 107 hand-injured patients a mean of 11 months after injury. Impairment rating was performed prospectively. From the patients who came for therapy, they were invited to fill out the questionnaire and evaluated for impairment rating. Response variables of DASH, MHQ, and visual analog scale pain intensity values were collected at the same setting. Other explanatory variables included demographic, injury-related, and psychological factors (symptoms of depression measured with the Beck Depression Inventory). Initial bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine correlations of disability and pain to impairment rating and other exploratory variables.Each author certifies that he or she, or a member of his or her immediate family, has no funding or commercial associations (eg, consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research 1 editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request. Each author certifies that his or her institution approved the human protocol for this investigation, that all investigations were conducted in conformity with ethical principles of research, and that informed consent for participation in the study was obtained. 123 Clin Orthop Relat Res (2015) 473:3470-3476 DOI 10.1007/s11999-015-4228-7 Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research ® A Publication of The Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons®Results Disability as measured by the DASH showed intermediate correlation with AMA impairment (r = 0 .38, beta = 0.36, p = 0.000). Together with gender, it accounted for only 22% of the variability in DASH scores. Similarly, MHQ score correlated with impairment rating (r = À0.24, beta = À0.23, p \ 0.05). However, together with age, injured hand accounted for only 19% of the variability in MHQ scores. However, pain intensity did not correlate with impairment (r = À0.46, p [ 0.05). Interestingly...