Applications of realistic evaluation have focused largely on evaluating initiatives in the field of social policy and, more recently, social work practice. To date, however, there have been few published realistic evaluation studies within nursing; therefore this study is novel in its use of the methodology.
Purpose
Surprisingly, most studies have failed to demonstrate a strong correlation between organizational constraints (conditions at work that make doing a job difficult) and job performance. The purpose of this paper is to challenge the view that constraints are a direct barrier on performance and take an alternative approach whereby constraints have an indirect effect via decreased motivation and increased workload. Further, differential effects of various constraints are examined.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from 660 engineers licensed in the state of Florida using a single online survey.
Findings
Qualitative results showed that the most commonly experienced constraints were from coworkers and organizational rules and procedures. Constraints identified as having a greater detrimental effect on motivation are from the supervisor, and organizational rules and procedures. Quantitative results supported an indirect effects model that includes an indirect path via motivation, and a path via workload, which had a curvilinear component.
Originality/value
This is one of few studies to explain the relationship between constraints and performance, rather than simply estimate it. The use of mixed methods allows us to gain an in-depth understanding of constraints, and the convergence of findings across the methods increases confidence in this study’s results.
In this paper we report on the growth of pseudomorphically strained Si1−xGex alloys on 〈001〉 Si by solid phase epitaxy. One set of amorphous alloys was formed by high dose ion implantation 74Gc implanted at an energy of 200 kcV to a fluence of 9.6 ⊠ 1020/m2). Our TEM observations show that regrowth of these Si1−xGex(xmax = 0.14) films at ≍590°C results in a high density of planar defects and that these defects are associated with faceting of the amorphous/crystalline interface during annealing. These results were compared with the solid phase regrowth of MBE-grown Si0.7Ge0.3 amorphized with 170 keV 28Si ions which exhibited identical defects and faceting during regrowth. Attendant with this faceting was a decrease in the regrowth velocity, a result of a change from a planar {001} growth morphology to a multi-faceted growth surface containing many <50 nm deep pyramidal impressions. The regrowth rate was quantified, at a particular temperature, by the use of Si homoepitaxy for calibration of in situ TEM experiments. It was shown that the regrowth rate at 594°C in pure Si was 51 nm/min, whereas in the Si0.7Ge0.3 the regrowth rate decreased, as a result of {111} faceting, to 21 nm/min. RBS was used to characterize Ge concentrations and lattice resolution TEM was used to study the development of the faceted interface and associated planar defects during regrowth.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.