在可預見之未來無線點對點的世界裡，資訊交易就如同現實世界人與人間的交易模式，需考量到交易資訊的成本、價值與人際關係衡量之因素；傳統廣告行銷的效率問題也待創新的資訊交易平台來解決。本研究提出的資訊交易模型，以人性考量為基礎，在各種不同情境下，動態衡量資訊成本、價值與使用者間關係，透過助理軟體，協助加入資訊交易平台之個體，以更便利方式進行資訊交易，預期讓交易結果更貼近使用者的需求；而企業方面也能透過點與點之間快速傳遞資訊的特性，預期以更低成本、更高效率，完成商務行銷目的，達到破壞性行銷之目標。 / This paper presents a novel ambient e-service aiming at distributed marketing through sensible bartering in foreseeable wireless Peer-to-Peer (WP2P) environments. A variety of influential factors (e.g., cost, value, relationship) are proposed and formalized for empowering the bartering mechanism, unfolding a rich arena of ambient distributed trading and a disruptive paradigm of e-marketing.

本研究之目的在於探討線上社群協作與其前置因素之關係，並且檢驗社群投入度之中介效果。首先，本研究應用角色內與角色外行為分類，提出角色內與角色外線上社群協作之類型。其次，依據社會認知理論與社會交換理論，本研究提出線上社群協作之前置因素，包括對個人之結果預期、對社群之結果預期、知覺社群信任、知覺社群規範、知覺社群支持與知覺社群認同。最後，本研究基於投入度觀點，檢驗社群投入度對於線上社群協作及其前置因素之中介效果。 本研究之研究情境為玩家公會社群，本研究自一知名大型多人線上遊戲中收集340份有效問卷進行資料分析與假設檢驗，研究結果顯示：(1) 除社群禮貌外，社群投入度對於社群合作行為、助人行為與運動家精神皆有正向影響；(2) 對個人之結果預期與線上社群協作行為之關係，會受到社群投入度所中介；(3) 對社群之結果預期與線上社群協作行為之關係，會受到社群投入度所中介；(4) 知覺社群信任與線上社群協作行為之關係，會受到社群投入度所中介；(5) 知覺社群規範與線上社群協作行為之關係，會受到社群投入度所中介，但社群規範對於運動家精神亦有直接負向效果；(6) 知覺社群認同與線上社群協作行為之關係，會受到社群投入度所中介，但社群認同亦會直接正向影響社群合作與助人行為；(7) 然而，知覺社群支持與線上社群協作行為之關係，並不會受到社群投入度所中介。針對上述之研究結果，本研究進一步闡述其學術研究意涵、實務管理意涵，以及研究限制與未來研究方向。 / The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between online community collaboration and its antecedents by examining the mediating effect of community engagement. First, this study proposes a classification of online community collaboration by following the typology of in-role and extra-role behaviors. Accordingly, this study will further examine some of online community collaboration behaviors, including community cooperation, helping behavior, community courtesy, and sportsmanship. Second, drawing upon social cognitive theory and social exchange theory, this study identifies several antecedents of online community collaboration, including person-relevant outcome expectancy, community-relevant outcome expectancy, perceived community trust, perceived community norms, perceived community support, and perceived community identification. Finally, from the perspective of engagement, this study will examine the mediating effect of community engagement on the proposed model. The research setting of this study is online gaming communities. After collecting 340 valid responses from a famous Massive Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG), our results show that (1) community engagement affects community cooperation, helping behavior and sportsmanship positively, but does not have a significant effect on community courtesy; (2) the relationships between person-relevant outcome expectancy and three online community collaboration behaviors are mediated by community engagement; (3) the relationships between community-relevant outcome expectancy and three online community collaboration behaviors are mediated by community engagement; (4) the relationships between perceived community trust and three online community collaboration behaviors are mediated by community engagement; (5) the relationships between perceived community norms and three online community collaboration behaviors are mediated by community engagement, but perceived community norms also has a direct and negative impact on sportsmanship; (6) the relationships between perceived community identification and three online community collaboration behaviors are mediated by community engagement, but perceived community identification also has direct and positive impacts on community cooperation and helping behavior; (7) the relationships between perceived community support and online community collaboration behaviors are not mediated by community engagement. According to these findings, this study concludes with research implications, managerial implications, research limitations and future research directions.

The purpose of the study was to identify a comprehensive measure of performance by assessing the relationship between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction on the profitability of the commercial banking industry in Ethiopia. The study adopted unidimensional path models, multivariate approach and factor analysis in predicting the dependent variable, determining the independent variables and the sample size and justifying the objectives of the sturdy. Primary data were obtained through structured questionnaires from valid sample responses of 180 employees and customers selected on convenient sampling method. Profitability (ROA & ROE) was measured based on the average data from the financial statements of 2007/8-2001/12 of the banks. Variant of empirical studies and theoretical frameworks, drawn from motivational, psychological and behavioural theories, were used to formulate the hypothesis and establish the relationship between internal service quality, employee satisfaction, customer service quality, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and profitability. Results of the study indicated internal marketing influenced employee job satisfaction which in turn partially influenced customer service quality and customer satisfaction; customer service quality influenced customer satisfaction which then influenced customer loyalty. But, no relationship was observed between customer loyalty and profitability. However, due to the timing gap of the data on profitability and the data on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, the relationship is apparently realizable in the long run. Therefore, due emphasis is required by the management of the banks to exert the necessary strategic effort on employee satisfaction, customer service quality, and customer satisfaction because of their implicit effects on profitability. Finally, the relevance of the research to the literature on performance measurement is demonstrated by contextualizing comprehensive models in the context of commercial banking industry in Ethiopia. / Business Management / D.B.L.

Summaries in English and Afrikaans / Life skills are coping skills taught to learners, with the purpose of developing self-reliant and confident people with skills, to cope with important life's challenges in times of change. Where life skill education initiatives are being set up, much time and resources are channelled into training teachers, promoting, disseminating and implementing life skill education. For life skill education to be effective and continue to be relevant, research needs to be undertaken as an integral part of the whole process. This study focuses on the 'Life Skills Train the Trainer Programme'. The aim being to evaluate the success of this programme in empowering teachers to teach life skills. It was found that although life skill education has been found to be an important area in every learner's life, there are obstacles that may affect an effective implementation of life skill education in schools. These obstacles need to be attended to. / ewensvaardighede word aan leerlinge onderrig met die doe! om selfstandigheid en selfversekerdheid te ontwikkel, sodat hulle in staat is om lewenseise te midde van veranderende tye te kan hanteer Wanneer lewensvaardighede-onderrig gelnisieer word, word baie tyd en hulpbronne gekanaliseer in die opleiding van onderwysers, asook in die promovering, verspreiding en implementering van sodanige onderwys. Vir lewensvaardighede-onderrig om effektief te wees en relevant te bly, moet navorsing 'n integrale dee! van die hele prose vorm. Hierdie studie is gerig op die "Life Skills Train the Trainer Programme". Die doe! was om vas te stel tot watter mate hierdie program bydra tot die bemagtiging van onderwysers in die onderrig van lewensvaardighede. Die bevinding was dat alhoewel erkenning gegee word aan die belangrikheid van lewensvaardighede-onderrig, daar tog struikelblokke is wat effektiewe implementering in skole kan belemmer Hierdie struikelblokke moet aangespreek word. / Educational Studies / M.Ed.

Conflict is an inevitable occurrence in any human interaction setting and organisations are no exception. Communication is an essential an important aspect of conflict. People run organisations and without interaction through communication, organisational existence would be next to impossible. This dissertation aims to explore the role of interpersonal communication in managing peer co-worker conflict in a Non-Governmental organisation, SILC KENYA, Eldoret. This study adopted a qualitative case study. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect data from fifteen employees of the same hierarchical level. The study revealed various causes of conflict amongst the peer co-workers. Exchange of resources amongst peer co-workers was seen to better interpersonal relations in the workplace and it was further noted that interpersonal communication plays an important role in conflict management. The study recommends that peer co-workers should be equipped with interpersonal communication skills through frequent teambuilding activities and training workshops to aid in conflict management. / Communication Science / M. A. (Communication Science)

The overarching aim of this study was to examine female social workers’ (ie. drug counselors’ and members of treatment staff’s) perception of the sexuality of girls and boys. The results indicate that the IPs define female high risk sexual behavior differently than male high-risk sexual behavior. For females, the mere act of having sex with multiple men in combination with drug use was considered problematic, while for males, the question was whether he was having protected sex. A history of CSA was considered to affect the sexuality of both the female and male vignette characters, but in different ways: the male character was seen to punish himself through multiple sexual partners while the female was seen to be unable to make informed sexual decisions or even to enjoy sex. Finally, the concept of sexual exploitation was analyzed and found to be inconsistently used not only by the IPs, but also in the research literature. In the discussion, it is stressed that social services and treatment personnel need to be clear about what they mean by sexual exploitation of girls. Paying undue attention to a girl’s sex life will not help her in any significant way. Instead, social workers should help girls use their gifts and strengths to express their innermost being, helping them find their voice. / Det övergripande syftet med denna studie var att undersöka kvinnliga socialarbetares (det vill säga drogbehandlares och behandlingspersonals) uppfattning om tonårsflickors och tonårspojkars sexualitet. Resultaten indikerar att intervjupersonerna definierar sexuellt högriskbeteende annorlunda hos flickor och pojkar. För flickor uppfattades det som problematiskt att ha sex med flera män i kombination med narkotikabruk, medan det för pojkar handlade om huruvida de hade skyddat sex. En historia av sexuella övergrepp i barndomen ansågs kunna påverka sexualiteten hos både kvinnliga och manliga vinjettkaraktärer men på olika sätt: den manliga karaktären ansågs bestraffa sig själv genom många sexuella partners medan den kvinnliga upplevdes oförmögen att fatta informerade sexuella beslut eller ens njuta av sex. Slutligen analyserades begreppet sexuellt utnyttjande och visade sig användas inkonsekvent inte bara av intervjupersonerna, men också i forskningslitteraturen. I diskussionen betonas att socialtjänst och behandlingspersonal måste klargöra vad de menar med sexuellt utnyttjande av flickor. Att ge otillbörlig uppmärksamhet åt en tonårsflickas sexliv hjälper henne inte på något väsentligt sätt. Istället bör socialarbetare hjälpa flickor att använda sina talanger och styrkor för att uttrycka sitt innersta väsen och därmed hjälpa dem finna sin röst.

It is evident from the 2015 national employee strike at organisation A that something should be done immediately to regain stakeholders’ (employees, suppliers and customers) trust. Despite good initiatives to engage and retain talent, some employees are still resigning. The study aimed to understand staff experiences on engagement and retention in a Polokwane based telecommunications organisation. A qualitative research approach and an interpretative phenomenological analysis design were used to explore and interpret the lived experiences. In-depth interviews using open-ended questions were employed to collect data from participants, who were purposefully selected. The researcher interviewed seven employees. The main themes helped to summarise the individuals' responses. The following main themes emerged from the proposed employee engagement (EE) model: (i) communication, (ii) motivation, (iii) relationship, (iv) interest, (v) health and welfare, (vi) development and (vii) monetary value. / Megwanto ya boipelaetšo go bašomi ka kakaretšo ye e bilego gona ka 2015 go khampani ya A e bontšhitše gore go pepeneneng gore se sengwe se swanetše se dirwe go tliša tshepho go batšeakarolo (bašomi, batšweletši le badiriši). Le ge go na le maitapišo a poledišano le go se lobe talente, bašomi ba bangwe ba sa tšwelapele go tlogela mošomo. Lebaka legolo la go dira nyakišišo ke go le leka go kwešiša maitemogelo a bašomi mabapi le tshwaragano le go lota khamphani ya tša megala Polokwane. Mokgwa wa dinyakišišo tše di tseneletšego le go hlathollwa ka mokgwa wa ponagalo le popego o somišitšwe go leka le go hlatholla maitemogelo a bona. Dipoledišano tše di tseneletšego go šomišwa dipotšišo tša go nyaka mmono wa bašomi di dirišitšwe go kgoboketša dipalopalo go tšwa go batšeakarolo bao ba kgethilwego ka nepo. Monyakišiši o boledišane le bašomi ba šupa. Kgwekgwe tša taba di thušitše go akaretša diphetolo go tšwa go batšeakarolo ba go fapafapana. Mohlala wo o šišintšwego wa go kgokogana le bašomi o tšweleditše kgwekgwe tše dilatelago: poledišano, tlhohleletšo, kamano, kgahlego, katlego ya tša maphelo, kgatelopelo le boleng bja matlotlo. / Nadat maatskappy A se werknemers in 2015 landswyd gestaak het, moes ingegryp word om die vertroue van belanghebbendes (werknemers, verskaffers en kliënte) in die maatskappy te herstel. Ondanks daadwerklike pogings om bevoegde werknemers aan te stel en te behou, bedank werknemers steeds. Hierdie studie stel ondersoek in na werknemers se siening van die aanstelling en behoud van personeel in die telekommunikasiemaatskappy waarvan die hoofkantoor in Polokwane is. Oop vrae is in-diepteonderhoude aan opsetlik gekose deelnemers gestel om die data in te win. Die navorser het met sewe werknemers onderhoude gevoer. Hulle antwoorde is volgens temas opgesom. Die volgende temas blyk uit die voorgestelde werknemeraanstelling- of WA-model: (i) kommunikasie, (ii) motivering, (iii) verhoudings, (iv) belang, (v) gesondheid en welstand, (vi) ontwikkeling en (vii) monetêre waarde. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

How authors and scholars have approached leadership studies – in terms of their thinking, defining and studying – has changed remarkably over time. According to literature, this is predominantly due to greater optimism about the field and greater methodological diversity being employed to better understand complex, embedded phenomena. As a result, there has been a significant rise in the use of qualitative research approaches to the study of leadership. Numerous definitions, classifications, explanations and theories about leadership, exist in the contemporary literature. However, despite the vast array of literature, the challenge of failing leadership persists. Challenges, such as the speed of technological advancements, social, and economic change are ever-present, while the impact of COVID-19 is, as yet, uncertain. Despite these challenges, can companies compete successfully in the marketplaces they operate in while also remaining ethical and engaged with the challenges of the broader business and social environment? To answer this question, this study has undertaken qualitative research on the bouquet of trait, situational and value-based leadership theory, in order to re-assess both established and developing theories. The predominant aim is to describe, explain and analyse available literature in an attempt to ascertain academic guidance on how it might be possible to enable leaders and society to mitigate leadership challenges by proposing a conceptual framework that could support leadership theory and, in so doing, take an academic stance in providing better answers or guidance to the failures currently being experienced. Several authors have noted that leadership makes a difference with resulting impacts on many which implies that to make the world a better place, leadership has two contradictory elements; good and bad. These elements are reflected in today’s connected world where the media, either showers praise on leaders or writes articles deriding their incompetence and abuse of their roles at all levels The proposed conceptual framework of this study endeavours to enable society and leaders, practically and at an individual level, to evaluate leadership issues and link leadership frameworks to their everyday lives and, in so doing, aid in mitigating the challenges being faced. / Business Management / D.B.L.

High-profile instances of workplace violence and increased pressure from competitors have threatened the viability of one of the nation's largest employers, the United States Postal Service (USPS). As a result, the USPS began a massive change effort in the early 1990's. One of the initiatives implemented to improve labor-management relations was a derivative of the self-managed work team known as the crew chief program. This study provides a mixed-methods and multi-level approach to understand the impact this unique program had on organizational attitudes. The first aim of this study was to investigate whether the crew chief program reduced employees' stress and strain and improved job and supervisory satisfaction and company and union commitment, while controlling for the nesting of employees within sites and employee demographic characteristics. The second aim was to replicate and extend the stressor-strain-outcome (SSO) model of stress and to determine whether employee perceptions of crew chief support moderated the relationships between stressors, strain, and outcomes. I evaluated Aim 1 using data from 177 mail processors from 27 units matched from baseline to one-year follow-up with hierarchical linear modeling. This was followed up with an implementation analysis of qualitative data to determine the extent to which the program was implemented compared to the original design. I evaluated Aim 2 using structural equation modeling from 538 mail processors who participated at follow-up. There was little quantitative support for Aim 1. However, the results of the implementation analysis suggested that the crew chief program was not functioning as conceived. Aim 2 received strong support, with almost all of the main effects of the SSO model replicated. However, there was no support for the moderator effects. Additionally, I found role ambiguity to have direct relationships with other organizational outcomes beyond the indirect effects via strain and that crew chief support was strongly related to stressors and outcomes. These findings reinforce the notion that employing both quantitative and qualitative methods can dramatically improve the quality of organizational research. Based on these findings, I describe several suggestions for improvements to this specific program and for improving future initiatives aimed at enhancing labor-management relations.

Cette thèse a pour objectif principal d’interroger les mécanismes régissant la dynamique corporatiste et les logiques d’action du collectif des instituteurs au Gabon. Cette réflexion a été orientée au départ par deux constats : l’action collective enseignante et les changements statutaires marquant l’évolution de ce groupe professionnel. La démarche méthodologique s’appuie sur l’apport de plusieurs disciplines des sciences sociales et de diverses approches théoriques. L’hypothèse théorique repose sur l’idée de la constitution d’un corps de métier. Cette thèse tente d’appréhender le métier d’instituteur à partir d’un triptyque articulant trois pôles d’analyse : les relations sociales, l’organisation et le contexte social.L’enquête de terrain réalisée auprès des différents acteurs éducatifs, principalement les instituteurs, est centrée sur les conditions de vie et de travail de ces derniers. L’analyse porte à la fois sur les aspects statutaires, les relations entre les instituteurs et les autres acteurs de l’action pédagogique - principalement les élèves, les familles, les pouvoirs publics - et sur la pratique quotidienne de la classe. Elle met en lumière, la pluralité des identités socioprofessionnelles et la variabilité des pratiques professionnelles suivant les configurations relationnelles, les règles organisationnelles et le contexte socioculturel de travail. A titre d’exemple, l’instituteur notable dans un village devient le fonctionnaire mal payé en ville. De même, quand la gestion de la discipline en classe, la multiplicité des activités variées, la recherche des outils didactiques, l’entretien de la classe, rythment une matinée de travail de l’instituteur de l’école publique et de ses élèves, l’exploitation maximale des nombreuses ressources pédagogiques disponibles caractérise une matinée de travail de l’instituteur de l’école conventionnée.L’analyse permet aussi de cerner les mécanismes qui sous-tendent les accords et les désaccords au sein du système scolaire dans sa globalité. Des dispositifs de formation non adaptés aux conditions réelles de travail, la marginalisation de l’instituteur étranger à la province, les attentes des familles vis-à-vis de l’instituteur exerçant dans son village d’origine, la fuite des classes d’examen ou des classes pléthoriques par certains instituteurs, la constitution et la gestion des budgets dans les établissements, la radicalisation ou non de l’action syndicale… sont autant de facteurs sources des oppositions caractérisant les relations des instituteurs entre eux, des instituteurs avec les parents d’élèves ou avec les pouvoirs publics. / This thesis has for objective to examine the mechanisms governing the corporatist dynamics and logics of action of the collective of teachers in Gabon. This reflection has been directed at the outset by two observations: the teacher collective action and statutory changes marking the evolution of this occupational group. The methodological approach relies on the contribution of several disciplines of social sciences and various theoretical approaches. The theoretical assumption rests on the idea of the creation of a corps of business. This thesis attempts to apprehend the profession of schoolmaster from a triptych linking three areas of analysis: social relations, organization and social context.The field survey conducted among different educational actors, mainly teachers, is centered on the life and work of these conditions. The analysis focuses both on the statutory aspects, relations between teachers and other actors of the educational action - mainly students, families, public authorities - and the daily practice of the class. It highlights, the plurality of professional identities and professional practice variability following relational configurations, organizational rules, and, the social and cultural context of work. For example, the significant teacher in a village becomes an employee being poorly paid in the city. Similarly, when the management of discipline in the classroom, the multiplicity of varied activities, looking for teaching tools, maintenance of the class, punctuate a morning's work of public school teacher and of his students, the maximum exploitation of the many educational resources available characterized a morning's work of the partner school teacher.The analysis can also identify the mechanisms underlying the agreements and disagreements within the school system in its entirety. Training devices not adapted to the actual conditions of work, the marginalization of the teacher in the province, the expectations of the families against the teacher in his home village, leakage of exam classes or oversized classes by some teachers, the constitution and the management of budgets in institutions, radicalization or non of Union action... are all factors sources of opposition characterizing the relationships of teachers between them teachers with parents of students or the public authorities.