<p>The purpose of this thesis is to present a discussion about the organizational conditions that attract and retain Generation Y employees. This is done using an abductive research method. The work and career preferences of Generation Y are clarified using secondary data. The data is then analyzed and tested empirically at WSP Flack+Kurtz in New York City. The results show organizations can meet Generation Y’s wishes by, for example, offer extensive growth opportunities, frequent feedback, and an excellent social environment.</p>

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 2006. / Title from title page screen, viewed on April 27, 2007. Dissertation Committee: Phyllis McCluskey-Titus (chair), Amelia D. Adkins, Ross A. Hodel, Beatrice B. Smith. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 142-147) and abstract. Also available in print.

Introduction: Subjects with insulin resistance (IR) and diabetes are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than those without diabetes, however the mechanistic basis remains elusive. Despite LDL-cholesterol lowering by statin therapy, two-thirds of all CVD events remain, constituting a significant 'residual risk' for CVD. This ‘residual risk’ has been found to be greater for patients with diabetes than those without diabetes. This suggests the role for alternative sources of lipoprotein-derived cholesterol in CVD during diabetes. Both type-1 diabetic as well as IR subjects have been found to have increased plasma concentrations of fasting intestinal derived apoB48 containing remnants (CM-r). However it is not known if the diabetic metabolic milieu indeed increases the susceptibility of the arteries to CM-r and if these indeed bind to arterial proteoglycans (PGs). Objectives: To determine arterial retention of CM-r in type-1 diabetes and IR using ex vivo perfusion methodology in a streptozotocin rat model of type 1 diabetes and JCR-LA-cp rat model of IR. To determine the direct binding affinity and capacity of CM-r to biglycan using an in vitro approach. Methods and Results: We observed increased arterial CM-R retention in type 1 diabetic vessels as well as in IR vessels when compared to control vessels. The retained CM-r colocalized with arterial biglycan in type 1 diabetic vessels and a direct correlation was observed between the CM-r and the presence of glycated proteins in type I diabetic arteries. The increased arterial CM-r retention in the IR rats was associated with increased arterial biglycan protein content. We have conclusively demonstrated for the first time that CM-r indeed bind to human biglycan. Conclusion: Tight glycemic control in patients with type 1 diabetes can alleviate CVD by reducing hyperglycemia and subsequent retention of CM-r. A significant increase in biglycan protein core content during IR is suggestive of early vascular remodeling and may help to explain how CM-r accumulate more readily during diabetes induced CVD. Based on the results from this study, individuals with IR may be at increased risk for atherogenesis due to increased atherogenicity of the post-prandial CM-r when compared to normal population. / Nutrition and Metabolism

Background: Statistics say that Pakistan is the third largest user of compressed natural gas, its increased demand has encouraged investment in this sector. Number of stations has doubled in less than four years, this has increased the ratio of competition and low amounts of profit. Cut throat competition forces retailers to work on quality for customers’ retention and for this retailers are expected to understand the needs and requirements of their customers. This understanding is the only key to customer retention. Research undertaken focus on the key issues faced by CNG stations for customers’ retention. The study will focus on retailer’s strategies for customer retention in a competitive environment. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is study customer retention strategies adopted by compressed natural gas (CNG) retailing stations, in a developing country (Pakistan). Research Question: How do CNG retailing stations satisfy, make loyal, and retain their customers in a competitive environment? Methodology: Deductive approach has been adopted for this research to investigate the behaviour of customers through telephone interviews, as it is a distant research. Convenience sample has been selected for this research and ten semi-structured telephonic interviews have been conducted to get the empirical data from the CNG retailers of Lahore, stations from ten different stations have been selected on the basis of prestige, repute and amount of publicity in print and electronic media. Semi structured interviews will be based on primary and secondary data together. Primary data is in the form of interviews, secondary in the form of reports and published journals. Telephonic interview was based on open-ended questions to judge the views, knowledge and utility of customers experience and close-ended questions that have provided the direct and accurate answers. Telephonic interviews have advantages and disadvantages but for a distant research like this, it is the only best possible methodology to get first-hand knowledge quickly, interview was based on ten questions to get a complete picture of customers’ retention. Operationalization was based on 14 questions question 1 to 6 are about customers’ satisfaction, 7 to 11 customer loyalty and 12 to 14 customer retention. Validity and reliability is the key to success for any research. Same question were asked in different ways to check the reliability of the answers, target oriented questions were asked to validate the objective of the research and to make research credible. Conclusion and Results: The research establishes that most companies do not have specific plans for the customer retention in a cut-throat competitive environment. Customers’ service and technical issues were the targeted areas to understand the customers’ retention. Customers’ retention means profit, low retention means low profits. Result in a nutshell is an increased focus on imperial investigation, which is inevitable to study strategies for customer retention for the survival in the competitive world.

Mentoring has been proposed as a human resource strategy to encourage recruitment and retention of nurses in Canada. However, very little research exists related to mentoring in nursing. The purpose of this study was to describe the mentoring perceptions of acute care, clinical registered nurses based on their years of nursing practice, age, gender, and education level. A descriptive correlational design was performed on an analysis of a subset of the pre-workshop data gathered as part of the research of Ferguson, Myrick, and Yonge (2006). The conceptual framework used to structure the research questions was Benners Novice to Expert model (Benner, 1984; Benner, Tanner, & Chesla, 1996). The main research question related to the relationship between nursing experience level and mentoring perceptions. More specifically, what is the relationship between age, years of nursing practice, education level, gender, and mentoring perceptions including perceived costs and benefits to mentoring, willingness to mentor, mentoring functions of coworkers, and satisfaction with current mentoring relationships? This research established that age, years of nursing practice on the current unit, and education level had some impact on mentoring perceptions. Older nurses believed that the mentor played a greater psychosocial function in the mentorship than did younger nurses. Nurses with fewer years of practice on their current unit perceived fewer costs to mentoring, were more satisfied with their mentor, and were more willing to mentor. Previous experience as a protégé positively impacted mentoring perceptions. Nurses with prior mentoring experience were more willing to mentor. There were no significant differences between nurses with diplomas or degrees as their basic or highest level of education in nursing and mentoring perceptions. Nurses with a baccalaureate degree in another discipline perceived more benefits to mentoring than their diploma-prepared colleagues. No significant differences were noted when comparing gender with mentoring perceptions. The results of this study will provide healthcare organizations with a deeper understanding of mentoring perceptions and mentorships. From the knowledge acquired by this study, organizations can better encourage and endorse formal and informal mentoring in acute care environments. Retention and recruitment of registered nurses can be facilitated through support for mentoring.

Mentoring has been proposed as a human resource strategy to encourage recruitment and retention of nurses in Canada. However, very little research exists related to mentoring in nursing. The purpose of this study was to describe the mentoring perceptions of acute care, clinical registered nurses based on their years of nursing practice, age, gender, and education level. A descriptive correlational design was performed on an analysis of a subset of the pre-workshop data gathered as part of the research of Ferguson, Myrick, and Yonge (2006). The conceptual framework used to structure the research questions was Benners Novice to Expert model (Benner, 1984; Benner, Tanner, & Chesla, 1996). The main research question related to the relationship between nursing experience level and mentoring perceptions. More specifically, what is the relationship between age, years of nursing practice, education level, gender, and mentoring perceptions including perceived costs and benefits to mentoring, willingness to mentor, mentoring functions of coworkers, and satisfaction with current mentoring relationships? This research established that age, years of nursing practice on the current unit, and education level had some impact on mentoring perceptions. Older nurses believed that the mentor played a greater psychosocial function in the mentorship than did younger nurses. Nurses with fewer years of practice on their current unit perceived fewer costs to mentoring, were more satisfied with their mentor, and were more willing to mentor. Previous experience as a protégé positively impacted mentoring perceptions. Nurses with prior mentoring experience were more willing to mentor. There were no significant differences between nurses with diplomas or degrees as their basic or highest level of education in nursing and mentoring perceptions. Nurses with a baccalaureate degree in another discipline perceived more benefits to mentoring than their diploma-prepared colleagues. No significant differences were noted when comparing gender with mentoring perceptions. The results of this study will provide healthcare organizations with a deeper understanding of mentoring perceptions and mentorships. From the knowledge acquired by this study, organizations can better encourage and endorse formal and informal mentoring in acute care environments. Retention and recruitment of registered nurses can be facilitated through support for mentoring.

The purpose of this thesis is to present a discussion about the organizational conditions that attract and retain Generation Y employees. This is done using an abductive research method. The work and career preferences of Generation Y are clarified using secondary data. The data is then analyzed and tested empirically at WSP Flack+Kurtz in New York City. The results show organizations can meet Generation Y’s wishes by, for example, offer extensive growth opportunities, frequent feedback, and an excellent social environment.

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