In this research, we determine whether managers hold a "positive assessment" or a "negative assessment" of the practice of allowing reduced hours for regular employees involved in parenting and caregiving. The factors that influence the two types of assessment and how the two types of assessment influence managers' leadership behavior were studied. It was confirmed that the reasons that managers see as being behind the introduction of the practice of reduced hours for parenting and caregiving had a considerable influence on both types of assessment. The length of the period during which reduced hours are allowed and the working hours of employees working reduced hours also had an influence on the assessment. "Positive assessment" and "negative assessment" influenced the leadership behaviors of "consideration," "performance emphasis," and "response to conflict." Based on these results, we examined the issues involved in the management of the practice of reduced hours for parenting and caregiving, and methods for addressing those issues.

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The purpose of this study is to examine how work engagement influences interpersonal stress model, in particular, how work engaged employees cope with interpersonal stressors at work place and how their interpersonal stress coping style influences social support of co-workers. Two questionnaire researches were conducted. Research 1 showed work engaged employees experienced less interpersonal dislocation, and employed more positive relationship-oriented coping. Work engagement negatively influenced interpersonal dislocation which inhibited negative relationship-oriented coping, and this consequently prevented deterioration of mental health. Research 2 showed that work engaged employees perceived themselves as receiving more emotional support and felt less interpersonal interaction anxiety. Work engagement positively influenced positive relationship-oriented coping but did not influence social support. As a whole, the results indicate that work engaged employees actively try to improve interpersonal stress situations, but could not explain the effect of their coping style on their mental health and positive communication at work place. Finally, further examination of the orientation of work engaged employees on human relationship is recommended.

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This paper focuses on the decision making processes of IT project managers in critical situations. Based on the decision making process model by Tichy and Bennis (2007), this paper investigated the relationships between the use of the model and the success/failure of IT projects. The results indicated two facts: First, despite the fact that many IT project managers used the decision making process model in critical situations, their projects weren't necessarily successful. Second, only three steps in Tichy and Bennis's nine-steps model determined the success/failure of IT projects, i.e. the second preparation step, call step and redo loop from the second execution step to the first execution step. In addition, this paper proposes the simpler two phases model of decision making process in critical situations, preparation and execution phases.

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This research aims to understand how price influences online consumer decision-making and how the Internet influences price when purchasing tourism products through websites in Taiwan. In-depth company and consumer interviews were carried out to gain insights into customer perceptions of price. Companies such as travel agencies, computer reservation systems, hotel reservation systems and academics are embedded in this study in order to capture a holistic picture. The results indicate that the Internet facilitates purchase price consistency within the travel agency; however, there is no guarantee that consumers will definitely obtain the best offer when shopping online. In addition, price seems to be an integral element that appears more than once in the entire decision-making process. Price is not only the first, but also the last element in the decision-making process.

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According to numerous reports, enhancing career decision-making self-efficacy (CDMSE) is concerned with reducing the problem of career indecision of undergraduates. However research in this area is currently very limited. What I wish to show in this paper is to indicate a proposed method in order to enhance CDMSE based on experimental learning by laboratory method. Social skills (SS) was found to be the most important factor in enhancing CDMSE based upon reports on the NEET (Not in education, employment or training) problem in Japan. A survey conducted upon undergraduates of R University was used to investigate the relationship between CDMSE and SS (KiSS-18). The correlation coefficient was 0.691 (p<0.001, n=385). According to this result, since experimental learning in the laboratory is a way to improve SS, the learning method would be also one way to enhance CDMSE. A panel survey was conducted at the first and last lectures in the "Talent Development Theories at R University" series. This survey confirmed the effect (n=33). In this paper, this case is introduced and discussed.

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[in Japanese]

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