Research is linking increased risk of heart attack, high blood pressure, sleep problems, and anxiety to chronic stress caused by daily interactions with a “bad boss.”

“The evidence is clear that the leadership qualities of ‘bad’ bosses over time exert a heavy toll on employees’ health,” said Jonathan D. Quick, an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School and a co-author of the book Preventive Stress Management in Organizations. (From Rebecca Shannonhouse / The Washington Post)

In a 2011 article for Psychology Today, Ray Williams references several workplace studies, citing that “a study of 6,000 British office workers found employees who felt that their supervisors treated them fairly had a 30 percent lower risk of heart disease. A 2008 meta-analysis of the connection between health and leadership by Jana Kuoppala and associates concluded that good leadership was associated with a 27 percent reduction in sick leave and a 46 percent reduction in disability pensions. The same study concluded that employees with good leaders were 40 percent more likely to report the highest levels of psychological well being including lower levels of anxiety and depression.”

Williams alludes to a liability question that may be an inevitable next chapter: If research begins providing conclusive evidence that a bad supervisor is a root cause of serious illness, does this create new liabilities for the employing organization?

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Reading a play is one thing, but seeing it performed live is another. And while I believe one can get a lot out of reading one, more can be gained from seeing in person. If you’re feeling doubtful, let me cue up some recent research from the University of Arkansas.

In a new study, researchers found that students who attended high-quality theater productions gained better knowledge of a play’s plot, increased their vocabularies, grew their tolerances, and improved their abilities to read other people’s emotions.

“What we determined from this research is that seeing live theater produced positive effects that reading a play or watching a movie of the play does not produce,” said Jay Greene, professor of education reform at the University of Arkansas. “Plays are meant to be seen performed live. You can’t always take your kids to a play but if you can, you should. The story can be conveyed in a movie, but it doesn’t engage the viewer in the same way.”

The researchers studied a group of random students, grades 7 through 12, who saw productions of Hamlet and A Christmas Carol. Some participants in the control group and the treatment group also watched movie versions or read the play.

Surveys were then administered around six weeks after the performances. Students who attended the live productions improved their knowledge of the play by a large margin compared to the control group. For example, more than 94 percent of the live-attendance group knew that Ophelia drowns in Hamlet (spoiler alert!), compared to 62 percent of the control group. The students who attended a live performance also scored higher on tolerance and emotional measures compared to the control group.

The study, “Learning from Live Theater: Students realize gains in knowledge, tolerance, and more” is available on the Education Next website.

(photo credit: Burns Library, Boston College via photopin cc)

I have attended the University of Montana in Missoula for the past four-and-a-half years, and the growing trend of technology is continuing to impact the way we live and learn as students. I have personally seen and felt the effects of these changes as they have impacted my collegiate career.

Laptops vs. Handwriting Notes

One decision we face as college students that has a large impact on our academic performance is determining which method of note taking to use: typing on a laptop or handwritten. According to research, those who take notes by hand have better long-term comprehension, and this is the method of note taking I personally prefer. Students who write out their notes by hand have a stronger conceptual understanding and are more successful in applying and integrating the material than those who use their laptops. Students who use their laptops tend to have high verbatim note content, which is associated with lower retention of the lecture material. Students who use laptops can take notes fairly fast, mindlessly, and with little analysis. This fails to promote an understanding or application of the information given.

Online Classes vs. Physical Classes

As college undergrads, we have the option of either taking class at specific time, day, in a specific room, with a professor, or online at anytime, anywhere, and with no instructor. Online schooling has become more popular with the technological resources that are now available. Times are changing everyday, and technology is growing at a rapid pace. As a student, I find learning from a classroom, with a teacher, on the whiteboard to be much more effective. Being able to ask questions, engage in activity, and apply the frameworks is a lot more valuable than any answer Google can offer. There is something to be said about collaboration with others and the benefits group work offers. Talking through the difficult scenarios with others and then being able to explain it to someone else is how we as individuals truly retain knowledge. These benefits are lost by taking a class online. Most people take for granted the power of hands-on learning.

Textbooks vs. Ebooks

With technology growing, as a student I now have the ability to purchase a physical textbook or an online version in a PDF. This issue can be very opinion based. Students now days will more then likely choose the online version, because it is less expensive and more convenient. For me, I like to have the physical copy in hand. I usually end up writing all over it with pen, pencil, and highlighter.

Many will ask what does this have to do with technology? I think that it is important to remember that life is always changing and—whether we are students, have a career, or stay at home—we must adapt to the changes of society. What I don’t think, though, is that we have to completely change our ways. Some things will always be more efficient like computers or technology, but they are not always as effective. As humans, it is in our nature to feel the desire to want to interact with one another and complete our tasks by hand, which is why, using new forms of technology may not come as naturally to me.

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Pay per Laugh | TeatreNeu from edududu on Vimeo.

Barcelona’s Teatreneu comedy club doesn’t charge a cover fee. Instead, you’re charged per laugh.

The move is an effort to combat falling attendance numbers, due in part to Spanish government taxes on theatre tickets. In order to make money, though, the venue outfitted every seat with iPad that ran facial recognition software. It recorded every time a person laughed at a cost of  €0.30 (about US$0.38). The max amount an attendee could pay was set at €24 (US$30).

How well did it work? Watch the video above to find out.

IAVM is actively monitoring the impact of recent Ebola incidents. At the direction of Chair Kim Bedier, CFE—and through collaboration with the Academy for Venue Safety & Security (AVSS) and our Industry Affairs Council (IAC)—a task force has been formed to work on relevant communications to the IAVM community. We would like to encourage members to join the current discussion in VenueNet, and to look for more information in the very near future.

The Industry Affairs Council was formed by IAVM to provide insight, recommend answers on positions, and proactively pursue industry representation of legislative issues and positions of advocacy.

Serving on the IAC Ebola task force:

Ryan Thorpe, director of facility operations, McCormick Place/SMG, vice chair of the IAVM Industry Affairs Council
Fred Peterson, director of facilities operations, Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, chair of the IAVM Industry Affairs Council
Russell Read, CFE, vice president of operations, AT&T Performing Arts Center, ETCP representative on the IAVM Industry Affairs Council
Paul Turner, CFE, CSSP, director of event operations & security, AT&T Stadium, chair of the IAVM stadiums sector, member of the AVSS Faculty
Bill Powell, vice president of event marketing and sales, FELD Entertainment
Jeff Davis, general manager, College Park Center – UT Arlington
Mark Herrera, director of education, IAVM

(photo credit: hukuzatuna via photopin cc)