We have chosen to focus on the meaning of long-term income support dependency regarding health, goal setting and motivation for the recipient of economical aid. We have chosen to use semi structurized interviews to achieve our goal of reaching the clients experience of long-term income support dependency. The study consists of interviews of six clients whose answers have been analyzed through appliance of Kielhofner´s Model of human occupation, Scheff´s Shame in self and society.    Our results show regarding, 1) the factor health that long-term income support dependency may elevate the risk of illness and less experienced options of possibilities to act. 2) regarding the factor goal setting, that goals may be inefficiently used during social work with long-term income support dependent clients and may result in a disorganized relationship between client and social worker in the sense of making the parties pull in opposite direction. 3) regarding the factor motivation, that long-term income support dependency and the living with the emotion of shame elevates the risk of maintaining a negative image of oneself that limits the willpower to assimilate new knowledge and/or skills. This also effects the clients belief in their own capacity to change their current negative situation. Which may impact the rate of success in motivational social work and the individuals own possibilities to live an independent life, free of income support. Throughout the study we have encountered the traces of shame as a social emotion and emphasize on the environments pressure for change and socialization.

Within the psychological literature two main approaches can be identified as influential factors in the increase of well-being, defined in this thesis as Hedonic (SWB) vs. Eudaimonic Well-Being (PWB). One of the key qualities of the human mind is its ability to think about and act upon the future. The first approach emphasises the role of psychological strengths related to the utilisation of foresight and planning in such a way as to influence the consequences of current actions. The second approach focuses on the function of basic personality traits in the setting of goals and mental functioning. To integrate these approaches, this thesis brings together two lines of research: future-orientation and personality traits. Two longitudinal studies investigate the predictive qualities of future-orientated constructs in relation to personality traits, while also focusing on their contribution to the setting and attainment of goals and the perception of well-being. In the first study two cognitive-motivational scales, Hope and Personal Growth Initiative (PGI), were administered to measure two hundred and sixty four participants’ future-orientation. The first aim of this study was to examine the distinctiveness of these two scales in predicting well-being. Results from factor analyses cast doubt on the uniqueness of Hope and PGI, while regression analyses demonstrate Hope to be the strongest, most significant predictor of PWB and SWB. A further aim of the study was to ascertain if future-orientation could account for additional variance in the prediction of well-being, after the influence of the Eysenck’s Personality traits have been controlled for. It was indicated that individuals’ Hope levels do account for residual variance in PWB and SWB. The last aim of the study was to determine if future-orientation could contribute to long-term goal attainment and well-being. The results indicate that participant’s Hope levels did not significantly contribute to long-term goal attainment, however it had a direct, significant effect on long-term PWB. The second study, utilising 117 participants, replicated prior findings that demonstrate Hope, instead of PGI, to be the strongest, most significant predictor of both PWB and SWB. The study also extents prior research by utilising the Big-Five traits in the prediction of PWB and SWB. Factor analyses results indicate Hope to share an underlying factor structure with Openness and Conscientiousness, while PGI share an underlying factor structure with Agreeableness. It was further indicated that participants’ Hope, but not PGI, accounts for residual variance in the prediction of PWB, after controlling for the Big-Five traits. Conversely, Hope and PGI did not account for any residual variance in the prediction of SWB, instead almost 60% of the variance can be attributed to the Big-Five personality traits. Extending the first study, the aim of the second study was to ascertain attainment through independent verification and not participant self-assessment. The results indicate that participants who demonstrate greater levels of Openness and PGI tend to set higher quantitative goals. Although not predictive of goal attainment, participants with greater Openness showed higher performance on the goals. Overall, the results question the distinctiveness of Hope and PGI in the prediction of well-being. It adds to our knowledge of how psychological strengths such as future-orientation can contribute variance to the prediction of well-being after basic personality traits have been controlled for. Finally the results also add to our understanding of how personality traits, as well as, Hope and PGI independently contribute to the setting of goals.

This research empirically investigates Locke's (1997) model of work motivation by means of quantitative research. The OCQ consisting of three tiered questionnaires was constructed based on Locke's model. OCQ-Tierl deals with core components of Locke's model. OCQ-Tier2 determines which factors caused the incidence of dissatisfaction in OCQ-Tierl. OCQ-Tier3 enables the identification of corrective actions. The OCQ was administered to financial services employees. The results were analysed and Locke's model was tested by means of structural equation modelling using the AMOS graphics programme. The results indicated that the model, suggesting causal links between components within OCQ-Tierl, could not be confirmed. A better fit was found at OCQ-Tier2 and OCQ-Tier3. In testing the causal links across the three tiers per component, the models did not fit the data for "personal actualisation" and "goal achievement". Moderate confirmation of the models was found in the case of "goal setting" and "goal behaviour" across the three tiers after some adaptations were made to the models on the basis of "modification indices", suggested by AMOS. A reasonably good fit was found for the models across the three tiers for "quality of work life". The level of correlation between factors was high because of this, and in some cases some of the factors were merged. Modification indices in the statistical output suggested that improvement was possible if covariance between error terms in the model was allowed. This suggested possible systematic sources of covariance between items not accounted for by the factors in the models. As confirmed by the Cronbach Alpha coefficients within tiers and across tiers, the general level of internal consistency was very high. Possibly response set and response style were the cause of this. This made the testing of models difficult in the present study. So too was it difficult to draw a conclusion about the internal consistency reliability of the measurement of each component across the three tiers, because the high Cronbach coefficients may to some extent be due to the indiscriminate high correlations between items / D.Litt. et Phil. (Industrial Psychology)

Denna studie diskuterar de ledarskapsstilar som används ombord på handelsfartyg. Den syftar till att avgöra huruvida en specifik mål-baserad ledarstil kan anpassas till att användas på ett modernt handelsfartyg. Den teori som används i studien bygger på Edwin A. Locke & Gary P. Lathams arbete inom målsättand psykologi och ledarskap. Den huvudsakliga artikeln vi har använt är “Building a Practically Useful Theory of Goal Setting and Task Motivation, A 35-Year Odyssey (2002)”.   Vi har genomfört en kvalitativ intervjuundersökning. De huvudsakliga variablerna vi undersökte, var de intervjuade sjöbefälsstudenternas inställning till att arbeta med specifikt målsättande ledarskap samt möjligheten att applicera det som ledarskapsmetod ombord på handelsfartyg.   Studenterna fick berätta om sina erfarenheter av ledarskapet ombord på de olika fartyg där de gjort sin praktik under utbildningen till sjöbefäl. Studenterna fick även svara på om ett mål-baserat ledarskap använts ombord.   Resultaten av studien visade att studenterna i allmänhet ställde sig positiva till att pröva de specifika mål-baserade ledarskapsmetoder, som presenterades under intervjuerna. Studien tyder på att en auktoritär ledarstil oftast användes ombord de olika fartygen. Vissa fartyg hade prövat olika varianter av mål-baserat ledarskap, även om ingen använt sig av ledarskap med specifika mål som denna studie syftar till.   Sammanfattningsvis tyder intervjustudien på en god inställning till utveckling i ledarskap ombord på handelsfartyg. Huruvida de specifika målteorier som används inom sjukvården, sport och industrin (Locke & Latham 2002) är den mest effektiva vägen att gå, kanske en framtida experimentell studie kan att visa. / This study discusses leadership styles used on ships and aims to determine whether a Specific Goal based Leadership style could be adapted on a modern merchant ship. The theory used in this study, is based on the work in goal setting psychology, by Edwin A. Locke & Gary P. Latham. The primary article we have used, is “Building a Practically Useful Theory of Goal Setting and Task Motivation, A 35-Year Odyssey (2002).   We have carried out a qualitative interview study. The depended variable was the Interviewed students, attending Kalmar Maritime Academy, and their attitude towards an adaption of Specific Goal setting Theory used as management method onboard merchant vessels.   The students were asked to review their experiences of the leadership and management style, from the various ships they have been mustered on, during their education towards officer. The students also answered whether a goal-based leadership had been used onboard.   The results showed that the students in general had a positive attitude towards the Specific goal based management style that the authors presented. Further the study indicated that the authoritarian method of management were the main one used on the various vessels the students had been in contact with. Some vessels had tried variations of goal-based leadership, although none had adapted the specific goal setting that this study aims to implement in maritime management.   In conclusion the authors find the interview study to show a good attitude towards a change in management style onboard merchant ships. Whether the specific goal setting theories that has been widely spread in health care, sports, and industry (Locke & Latham 2002) is the most efficient way, perhaps a future experimental study will show.

No description available.

This thesis focuses on evaluating the performance appraisal system of Filiz Gida, a small food processing company that is located in Turkey. Filiz Gida was established by Dogus Holding in Bolu, and currently employs 284 individuals. Filiz Gida is dedicated to fair and respectful treatment of all workers, offering voluntary benefits in housing programs, health care, education for worker's children, and professional child care services. The importance of quality in production at Filiz Gida is reflected by its receipt of ISO 9002 certification in 1994. In 2003 the Barilla Group, which is one of the giants in the pasta business, acquired Filiz Gida due to financial interests that have not been well documented by public media.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current practices of school and community partnerships in five North Texas elementary schools. In addition, the study focused on the influence community partnerships have on at-risk students based on at-risk indicators data. The literature revealed that when schools, parents, and families work together, students tend to earn higher grades, attend school more regularly, stay in school longer, and enrolled in coursework beyond high school. The target population included approximately 350 administrators, teachers, and paraprofessionals from five North Texas elementary schools. Also included were the respective partners from each of the five elementary schools. This research included online survey instrument and data were gathered and analyzed through a combination of statistical procedures and descriptive and inferential statistics. The results may provide other schools with a profile of school and community partnerships that can be implemented as a method to help their at-risk student populations. Findings included a descriptive analysis of factors that contributed to the success of community engagement efforts as well as those factors that limited those efforts. A secondary purpose of this study was of continuous improvement in developing these approaches through a goal-setting approach. Schools included in the study provided a next steps plan by describing their major goal(s) for improving existing school and community partnerships over the next 3 years.

No description available.

MPM / Department of Public and Development Administration

MPM / Oliver Tambo Institute of Governance and Policy Studies / See the attached abstract below