Lycka är en viktig beståndsdel i en människas liv och innehåller komponenter som livstillfredställelse och påverkan av yttre förhållanden. En typ av yttre förhållande som lycka skulle kunna påverkas av är fysisk aktivitet. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka om det fanns ett samband mellan lycka och grad av fysisk aktivitet hos högskolestudenter beroende på kön, ålder, civilstånd och antalet studerade terminer. En enkät med två instrument, Oxford happiness questionnaire och International physical activity questionnaire delades ut till 99 högskolestudenter där data bearbetades med variansanalyser. Resultatet visade att högskolestudenter med låg grad av fysisk aktivitet skattade sin lycka lägre än högskolestudenter med måttlig och hög grad av fysisk aktivitet. Även ålder och civilstånd hade en inverkan på hur deltagarna skattade sin lycka. Deltagarantalet ses som en bidragande faktor till resultatet och framtida studier bör fokusera på faktorer som ligger till grund för lyckonivå vid låg grad av fysisk aktivitet.

There is limited research pertaining to assessing the happiness levels of various disciplines within the healthcare industry. Furthermore, happiness and physiotherapy studies are two research areas that are not necessarily associated with one another on a global perspective. Hence, the happiness levels have not been adequately established for private physiotherapists. This treatise is the first attempt to evaluate the happiness levels of private physiotherapists in South Africa. A thorough literature review was conducted to determine the current climate of happiness studies pertaining to the business industry, with focus on private physiotherapy businesses in the healthcare sector. The literature review enabled the development of a hypothesised model, which was tested with quantitative techniques consisting of a questionnaire, data collection and statistical analysis. The research confirmed that influence, social relations, life balance, optimism, work and leisure are all positively associated with the happiness levels of private physiotherapists in South Africa. These variables are recommended as key focus areas for physiotherapy business owners to address, in order to positively affect happiness levels in the workplace and thereby create favourable bottom line results. In accordance with the reviewed literature and the findings of this treatise, by adequately addressing these variables the business owners of physiotherapy practices will generate a workforce that are more productive, demonstrate greater collaboration with colleagues and customers, produce happier customers, are more positively energised and are less absent and more loyal to the business. It is recommended that the proposed model is tested to provide further benefit to the industry by constructing evidence-based retention and recruitment strategies for high performing private physiotherapy staff.

Abstract The original aim of the study was to examine the professional growth of pre-service teachers in a reformed system of long-term module training. Professional growth was approached in terms of the cyclic model of new professionalism developed by Niemi and Kohonen, and professional growth was explored and basic social processes and phenomena identifiable in data were sought. The key phenomenon that emerged from the data of the grounded theory study, carried out in four elementary schools in the spring 1995, was an internal feeling of power, which turned out to be synonymous with the concept of empowerment. The empirical results showed the following categories to be significant for the process of empowerment: freedom, responsibility, appreciation, confidence, context, climate and positive regard. The collection, analysis and interpretation of data were carried out in accordance with the grounded theory approach, using the constant comparative method. A detailed examination of the grounded theory methodology revealed two major schools of thought: the Straussian and the Glaserian schools. The major differences between these approaches were analyzed comparatively. The description of the different stages of data analysis in the present work draws attention to the roles of the inductive-deductive Straussian procedure and the inductive Glaserian procedure. After the empirical stage, the main goal of the study was to formulate a general formal theory of human empowerment. The basic assumption of the theory of empowerment developed in this work is that empowerment is an inherently human and individual process. It is a personal and social process, in which the inner power is nontransferable to another. The theory of empowerment is based on a combination of the empirical findings and the current research findings. The theory formulated here identifies the different subprocesses of empowerment. It does not aim to indicate the measurable qualities of an empowered person or the causal factors contributing to empowerment. The subprocesses of empowerment are classified into a framework which is a modification of Ford's Motivational Systems Theory (MST) and consists of goals, capacity beliefs, context beliefs and emotions. The theory postulates that a person may remain disempowered if he or she has difficulties with some of the subprocesses that constitute the framework. It also claims that empowerment has a catalytic effect on commitment: poor empowerment results in poor commitment, while strong empowerment results in strong commitment. On the basis of the theoretical discussion, it can be concluded that empowerment is not a permanent state. It is, however, possible to strengthen empowerment through subtle and supportive measures that open up possibilities through, for example, openness, freedom of action, encouragement and through strengthening a sense of security, trust and equality. Empowerment arises out of and gives rise to human well-being. The theory of empowerment can be used as the underlying theory in projects and studies aiming to maintain human resources and prevent exhaustion. Especially people working as superiors would benefit from knowledge of the theory of empowerment in their efforts to ensure the well-being of their subordinates in workplaces. The findings of this study can probably also be utilized in supporting the empowerment of the elderly, handicapped, marginalised and unemployed individuals and chronically ill patients. Teacher educators and teacher education supervisors can utilize the empirical findings and the formulated theory in planning their work of supporting students" processes of growth and professional commitment. The theory of empowerment is valuable for both preservice and inservice teacher education in working toward the well-being of students and teachers as well as the realization of human rights. / Tiivistelmä Tutkimuksen alkuperäisenä tavoitteena oli tutkia luokanopettajaksi opiskelevien ammatillista kasvua uusimuotoisessa pitkäkestoisessa moduuliharjoittelussa. Ammatillista kasvua tutkittiin 1)  Hannele Niemen ja Viljo Kohosen kehittämän uusprofessionaalisen syklisen mallin pohjalta, ja ammatillisesta kasvusta etsittiin 2) aineistopohjaisesti perussosiaalisia prosesseja ja ilmiöitä. Neljällä kenttäharjoittelukoululla keväällä 1995 toteutetussa grounded theory -tutkimuksessa aineistosta nousi ammatillisen kasvun ydinilmiöksi sisäinen voimantunne, joka osoittautui synonyymiksi empowerment-käsitteelle. Tutkimuskirjallisuuden perusteella empowerment on voimaantumista. Empiiristen tulosten mukaan kategoriat vapaus, vastuu, arvostus, luottamus, konteksti, ilmapiiri ja myönteisyys ovat merkityksellisiä voimaantumisprosessissa. Havainnointiaineiston kerääminen, analysointi ja tulkinta toteutettiin grounded theory -metodologian mukaisesti jatkuvan vertailun menetelmällä. Grounded theory -metodologiaan tutustumisessa selvisi, että metodologian sisälle on muodostunut kaksi koulukuntaa: straussilainen ja glaserilainen. Suuntausten näkemyseroista on tehty vertaileva analyysi. Tässä tutkimuksessa kerätyn aineiston analyysiprosessin vaiheiden kuvaamisessa on otettu huomioon induktiivis-deduktiivisen straussilaisen ja induktiivisen glaserilaisen menettelyn osuudet. Tutkimuksen päätavoitteeksi muodostui empiirisen vaiheen jälkeen yleisen formaalin teorian rakentaminen ihmisen voimaantumisesta. Kehitetyn voimaantumisteorian keskeisenä ajatuksena on se, että voimaantuminen lähtee ihmisestä itsestään. Se on henkilökohtainen ja sosiaalinen prosessi, eikä voimaa voi antaa toiselle. Voimaantumisteoria on rakentunut empiiristen tulosten ja olemassa olevan tutkimustiedon yhdistämisen tuloksena. Muodostettu teoria jäsentää voimaantumisen osaprosesseja. Se ei pyri osoittamaan voimaantuneen ihmisen mitattavissa olevia ominaisuuksia eikä voimaantumiseen vaikuttavia kausaalitekijöitä. Voimaantumisen osaprosessit luokitellaan Martin Fordin motivoivien järjestelmien teoriasta (MST) sovellettuun kehikkoon päämäärät, kykyuskomukset, kontekstiuskomukset ja emootiot. Voimaantumisteoriassa väitetään, että ihminen voi jäädä voimaantumattomaksi (disempowered), jos hänellä on ympäristössään vaikeuksia tähän kehikkoon jäsentyvissä osaprosesseissa. Teoriassa myös väitetään, että voimaantuminen vaikuttaa katalyytin tavoin sitoutumisprosessiin: heikko voimaantuminen johtaa heikkoon sitoutumiseen ja vahva voimaantuminen johtaa vahvaan sitoutumiseen. Teoreettisen tarkastelun perusteella voidaan todeta, että voimaantuneisuus ei ole pysyvä tila. Voimaantumista voidaan kuitenkin yrittää tukea hienovaraisilla ja mahdollistavilla toimenpiteillä, esimerkiksi avoimuudella, toimintavapaudella, rohkaisemisella sekä turvallisuuteen, luottamukseen ja tasa-arvoisuuteen pyrkimisellä. Voimaantuminen on yhteydessä ihmisen hyvinvointiin. Voimaantumisteorian arvioidaan voivan toimia teoriataustana voimavarojen ylläpitämistä edistävissä ja uupumusta estävissä hankkeissa ja tutkimuksissa. Erityisesti esimiesasemassa oleville ihmisen voimaantumisprosessien tuntemisen ajatellaan olevan hyödyksi, kun he pyrkivät mahdollistamaan alaistensa hyvinvoinnin työpaikalla. Tätä tutkimusta arvioidaan voitavan hyödyntää myös mm. vanhusten, vammaisten, syrjäytyneiden, työttömien ja pitkäaikaissairaiden voimaantumisen tukemisessa. Opettajankouluttajat ja opetusharjoittelun ohjaajat voivat hyödyntää empiirisiä tuloksia ja tuotettua teoriaa suunnitellessaan työtänsä opiskelijan kasvu- ja sitoutumisprosessien tukemisen näkökulmasta. Oppilaiden ja opettajien hyvinvoinnin sekä ihmisoikeuksien toteutumisen vuoksi voimaantumisprosessien tuntemiseen tulisi kiinnittää huomiota sekä opettajien peruskoulutuksessa että täydennyskoulutuksessa.

(in English): This submitted thesis deals with gender differences in sources of well-being. It defines well-being and focuses on defining two significant approaches which are the subjective well-being (SWB) and the psychological well-being (PWB). In the theoretical part it summarizes the most significant demographics and socioeconomics factors which affect the well-being, gender and sex issues, and also focuses on the links between personality and well-being. The empirical part deals with the analysis and exploration of gender's differences of correlations between the well-being and the key characteristics in personality according to the Big Five model, the Schwartz Theory of Basic Values and coping strategies formulated by Carver. Research sample consisted of 2317 students of Masaryk University. The statistical analysis found correlation 0,602 between inventories measuring SWB and PWB. The significantly stronger positive relationship has been confirmed in men between extraversion and PWB, between active coping and PWB and also it has been confirmed, that women have significantly stronger relationship between coping strategy using emotional support and SWB. It was also confirmed, that young women participants have higher values of PWB than men. Exploratory analysis revealed the highest gender...

Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / Globally the Subjective Well-Being (SWB) of children is recognized as having a significant effect on the child's psychological and social functioning. Furthermore, not only does children's SWB have effects on childhood well-being research, it has also increased the knowledge of how children view their life that has been determined through the measurement of specific domains that relates to children's lives. The overall aim of this study was to ascertain the SWB of children across three age groups in the Western Cape. Within this process, the study further aimed to fit the structural model depicting the nature of the relationship between global, domain specific and overall life satisfaction across three age groups. The Theory of Model Fit: Goodness of Fit and Fit Indexes was used as the theoretical position conceptualising the study. The sample included 3236 children aged 8, 10, and 12 years selected using stratified random sampling from 29 schools in the Western Cape. The study used Structural Equation Modelling and Multi-group Confirmatory Factor Analysis to address the stated aims and objectives. Ethics principles of informed consent, anonymity, the right to withdraw and privacy were adhered to within the study. Findings of this study indicate that the descriptive statistics depicted high levels of SWB for both measures with mean composite scores ranging between 81.20 to 86.15 for the SLSS; and 83.29 to 84.07 for the PWI-SC. Confirmatory factor analysis showed excellent fit for both the SLSS and the PWI-SC across age groups (multi-group model). The application of Multi-group Confirmatory Factor Analysis in the current study found the measures to be comparable across the three age groups (8, 10 & 12) for the SLSS and two age groups for the PWI-SC (10 & 12). A combined model with two latent constructs, representing different levels of abstraction was also tested. An excellent fit was obtained for this combined model. Appropriate fit statistics was obtained for the overall pooled sample. The standardised regression weights of 0.57 for the PWI-SC and 0.47 for the SLSS point to adequate loadings of the latent constructs onto the OLS. Markedly, it was found that a significant overall mean difference was found between the 10 and 12-year olds and not between the 8 and 10-year olds; while for the domain-specific PWI-SC a similar tendency was noted across the 10 and 12-year olds participants (8 year old group was not applicable in this analysis). / National Research Foundation (NRF)

Magister Artium - MA / Recent advancements in child well-being research have shown an increased interest in the importance of subjective well-being. The development of instruments and scales to measure subjective well-being among children and adolescents is in its infancy. Furthermore, there are few existing cross-cultural studies with child and adolescent populations. Validation of existing measures and cross-cultural comparisons has been identified by a number of researchers as critical in contributing to the international dialogue. In the current study, two measures of subjective well-being (Student Life Satisfaction Scale and Personal Well-Being Index-School Children) are tested among a sample of children in the Western Cape region of South Africa. Noting the diversity of experience between children from different socio-economic status groups in South Africa, the study further aims to determine the extent to which the measures are comparable across socio-economic status groups. Data from the Children’s World Survey were used; and includes a sample of 1004 children randomly selected from 15 schools within the Cape Town Metropole. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the overall fit structure and multi-group factor analysis, with Scalar and Metric invariance constraints. The results show appropriate fit structure for the overall model, with Scalar and Metric factor invariance tenable across socio-economic status groups. The overall findings suggest that the two measures are appropriate for use with children from low and medium socio-economic status groups in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Magister Scientiae (Occupational Therapy) - MSc(OT) / TB is a multi- faceted public health problem spurred on by the biological progression of the disease as well as the social issues associated with it. The treatment of TB is however primarily driven by the medical model where the focus is on the disease and not on a holistic view of the patient. Occupational therapy is a profession concerned with the use of occupation in the promotion of health and well being through the facilitation of the process of occupational adaptation. There is however a paucity of literature pertaining to the role that occupational therapy could play within the TB context. The aim of this study was to explore how adults with MDR- TB who undergo long-term hospitalisation at a hospital in the Western Cape experience occupational adaptation. The objectives of the study were to explore how the participants perceive their occupational identity, to explore the meaning and purpose the participants assign to their occupational engagement and to explore the how the participants perceive their occupational competence. The interpretive research paradigm employing a phenomenological qualitative research approach was utilized in this study. Purposive sampling was used to select four participants based on specific selection criteria. The data gathering methods utilized included diaries, semistructured interviews, participant observation and a focus group. Photographs taken by the researcher for the purpose of participant observation were used to elicit a rich, in depth response from the participants during the focus group discussion. All data was analysed through thematic content analysis. The study findings highlighted that the participants viewed themselves as occupational beings and that they valued the role that occupational engagement played in facilitating their occupational competence and ultimately their ability to adapt to long- term hospitalisation. The environmental demands and constraints that they experienced however infringed their engagement in meaningful occupation and hampered their ability to achieve occupational competence. It was recommended that the hospital adopt an integrative intervention approach to the management of MDR- TB patients that include principles of psychosocial rehabilitation and occupational enrichment to address occupational risk factors and institutionalisation.

This thesis looks at the relationship between labour migration and socio-economic well-being of the rural households in the communities in Northeastern Thailand, and provides one of the few detailed case studies of the costs and benefits of labour mobility within Southeast Asian labour market system. This research aims to deepen our understanding of the implications of labour migration at micro-level. More specifically, the study aims to examine 'how much such labour migration and remittances do support the rural households and their family members left-behind?' by seeking a holistic assessment based on well-being perspectives with mixed-methods approach. To appreciate this question, we must first understand that there has been rapid economic development and change in Thailand over the past decades, and Thailand is now a leading economy in Southeast Asia that is evolving into a global and regional migration hub for outgoing, incoming, and transiting migrants. The rural communities in Northeastern Thailand, however, have experienced economic and environmental marginality, and as a result, have developed an institutionalised and self-sustaining migration culture after the Vietnam War in 1975. Yet existing research does not tell us much about what are the consequences of the labour migration on well-being for the households in this area. The research explores associations between remittance behaviours and gender difference using sex-disaggregated data, measures dimensions of poverty alleviating effects on the three Foster-Greer-Thorbecke poverty indices, and assesses economic well-being of the rural households (on the basis of differing participation in labour migration) and non-economic well-being of the family left-behind. On the evidence of this research with various levels of significance in regression analyses, international labour migration and remittances have several implications on rural households in Northeastern Thailand. Firstly, the results show that women and migrants from poorer households behave more altruistically, while men and migrants from richer households behave more contractually. These heterogeneities in remittance behaviours also linked to the asset accumulation patterns for migrants' own future well-being and related to inheritance culture of the rural Thais. Secondly, labour migration is a rational economic strategy of rural households to combat poverty and to improve economic well-being. The analysis reveals clearly that the entire income gap and most of the gap in economic well-being between households with and without migrants can be accounted by availability of remittances. However, the remittances also increase economic inequality (i.e. disparities in well-being) among households in the communities as well-known. Finally, the absence of adult children (for the elderly) or parents (for children) because of international labour migration does not create major disruptions of the non-economic well-being of the family members. The possibilities for frequent correspondence, returns, and the economic benefits of migration contribute to cushion the negative impacts of migration. Most of all, the extended family system plays a decisive role in functioning as a support mechanism.

Work-family conflict (WFC) is a stressor that can cause negative consequences, including deleterious effects on an individual's health and well-being. This study examined this relationship through the lens of the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model. This study expanded on two recent applicable studies to examine role quality as a moderator of the WFC-well-being relationship. Well-being was operationalized by three constructs: overall health, depression, and life satisfaction. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to test the hypotheses that a negative relationship existed between WFC and the three well-being outcomes over time, and that this negative relationship between WFC and well-being could be reduced when role quality is high, compared to when role quality is low. These hypotheses were tested using a sample of 234 working, married individuals caring for both children and parents. The use of this sample allowed examination of four types of role quality as potential moderators: job, spousal, child-care and parent-care. Results showed that WFC had a significant and positive relationship with depression over time. Two of the proposed moderators, spousal role quality and child-care role quality, significantly buffered the effects of work-to-family conflict on life satisfaction. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

This study investigated whether an employees’ perception of the ethical culture in the organisation and their perception of their own ethicality influenced their level of organisational identification and additionally, whether this relationship between perceived ethical culture and organisational identification had an influence on workplace wellbeing. The aim of this research study was to measure employees’ perceptions of organisational ethics, their relative self-ethicality, organisational identification, and wellbeing, in order to develop a model pertaining to the relationship between these three constructs. Research showed that employees’ perceptions of the ethical culture in their organisation can influence how they identify with that particular organisation. Research also indicated that the differences between perceived organisational ethicality and relative self-ethicality exist. Additionally, research showed the influence of perceived ethical culture and relative self-ethicality has indicated a relationship between organisational identification and wellbeing respectively. However, to date and to the researcher’s knowledge there has been no investigation of the relationship between these four constructs. This research study was quantitative in nature in which a questionnaire was utilised as a research method. A sample of 111 respondent from three organisations in the automation industry in the Eastern Cape, Port Elizabeth was utilised for this research study. The main findings indicated that an alternative model resulted to be a good fit through structural equation modelling. The results illustrated that organisational ethicality has an influence on how employees identify with their organisations and how this relationship influences wellbeing. Therefore, it is worthwhile to invest in an ethical organisational culture for the sustainability of the organisation and its employees’ livelihoods. This study contributes to the literature based on perceived ethical culture, organisational identification, and workplace wellbeing. Additionally, the study provides readers with a model on how these concepts influence each other.