The aim of the diploma thesis was to analyze the accommodation offer at Horská Kvilda,specifically comparison of quality and price connected accessibility of such services. One of the partial aims was to analyze current state of the selected accommodation unit, Lovecká chata, situated in the Horská Kvilda municipality, Šumava tourist region. Based on the comparison analysis and a field research to suggest measures leading to improvement of the market position of the accommodation unit.

Master thesis deals with the proposal of the online reservation portal. Its objective is the proposal form of accommodation reservation through the internet in the accommodation facility. This includes depiction and describing process, security, proper procedures and economic appraisals relating with the proposal.

Thesis (Master of Marketing)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019 / This thesis sought to investigate students’ preferences regarding university accommodation. The object was to identify the aspects and elements of housing that students deemed most desirable. The research also aimed to ascertain which socio-demographic variables might serve as predictors of preference in student housing. The thesis focused on student housing at a university in Cape Town, South Africa. The researcher adopted a stated preference approach, applying direct measurement and conjoint analysis methods to answer the research questions. The study commenced with qualitative exploratory research, including a literature review and focus group interviews with students. This was followed by collection of cross-sectional quantitative data using person-administered, structured questionnaires distributed among students at the university. SPSS software was used to analyse a total of 457 completed questionnaires. The direct measurement results indicated that most students prioritised convenience, safety, cost and privacy when it came to choosing accommodation. The three most important attributes as ranked by respondents were having unlimited free WiFi, the inclusion of a 24-hour computer lab in the building, and 24-hour on-site security. In addition, respondents favoured the presence of a convenience shop/kiosk in the residence, followed by sharing showers with students of their own gender, and being within walking distance of campus. Preferences for some but not all the dimensions of accommodation appeared to be influenced by gender, age group and study level. When indicating their willingness to pay (WTP) for a variety of elements relating to accommodation, it emerged that the question of sharing the space in their room – their living and learning space – was very important to the students. The results showed that, apart from having unlimited WiFi and 24-hour on-site security, the aspects for which respondents were prepared to pay most concerned the private space of the individual, e.g. room privacy and room size, as well as having their own toilet and shower. WTP attributes also varied among students according to age group, gender and level of study. Results from the stated preference (conjoint) experiment analysis showed that students were most sensitive about the sharing of ablutions and number of roommates, strongly preferring private rooms and facilities, or sharing with fewer other students. Monthly rent is next most influential, followed by distance from campus. The model also showed significant differences in the preferences of students based on their gender. Research in this field is overdue because, owing to recent increases in the tertiary student population in South Africa, there is a growing shortage of student accommodation. Current and future student housing needs must be assessed, and any such assessment requires a thorough grasp of current student accommodation preferences. The results of this research thus contribute to the knowledge and understanding available to managers and developers of student accommodation regarding students’ requirements and preferences. The findings can serve as a set of guidelines for developers of student housing and as a foundation for formulating associated marketing strategies. Despite the existence of extensive research on student housing, few studies have focused on the preferences of students in developing countries, and even fewer in South Africa. This research seeks to fill this gap by increasing awareness and understanding of students’ preferences with regard to university accommodation.

This dissertation examined the relationship between language diversity and the implementation of on-the-job training programs. Using India as the empirical context, I conducted a multi-case study research, which involved semi-structured interviews and direct observations in the headquarters of two Indian multinational enterprises. Drawing from social identity theory, I first examined the factors that influence the emergence and transformation of two types of language -based clusters, coping clusters and clusters of convenience. The two types of clusters display distinct mechanisms related to arousal, ingroup favoritism and outgroup bias, which questions one of the key assumptions of social identity theory related to the role of affect. Additionally, I found that language diversity can create cognitive discomfort for training recipients, and emotional anxiety for both training facilitators and recipients. However, training recipients, training facilitators, and the executive management, (i.e., the firm) can utilize certain language accommodation approaches that can reduce the emotional and cognitive discomfort experienced by employees. Using communication accommodation theory, I discuss that the influence of each language accommodation approach depends on its source and time of implementation. As well, language -based clusters can facilitate the exchange of interpersonal information during on-the-job training programs. The emergent findings also suggest that linguistic identity seldom operates in isolation. It often intersects with other dimensions of social identity, specifically, the status differentials attached to gender, education and regional dialects. The findings have implications for research on language diversity and language management in international business, social identity theory and communication accommodation theory. / Graduate / 2022-08-22

Purpose To determine the test-retest reproducibility of accommodation measurements gathered in an unselected sample of primary school children. Methods Monocular and binocular amplitudes of accommodation (AA) were collected by five different Testers using the push-up method in an unselected sample of school children (n=137, age: 8.1±2.1-years). Testing was conducted on three occasions (average testing interval: 8-days) in 91.2% of the children. Results The median AA was 19.1D, the variation due to the identity of the Tester was 3.1D (p<0.001) and the within-subject variation (which takes the variation due to Tester identity into account) was 5.2D. Around 75-79% of children exhibited monocular AAs-12D when tested on the first occasion, but more than 90% exhibited an AA-12D when subsequently tested. Around 74-80% of those with an AA<12D on the first occasion had values-12D on subsequent testing even though no treatment had been undertaken. Poorer initial AA measurements were less likely to improve on repeat testing. Conclusions Our results reveal substantial intra-individual variation in AA measurements, raising questions about the usefulness of this test in children aged 4-12-years. We suggest that AA assessment may prove most useful in children in this age range as a pass/fail check for substantially reduced AA, for example, where the AA is <12D. Our sample would suggest that the prevalence of persistently reduced AA may be around 3.2% when tested under binocular conditions and 4-6.4% when tested monocularly.

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1937 A805 / Master of Science

The visiting friends and relatives segment has not been given much study, because the segment has been perceived as small and with no positive economic impact on destinations. This is because of the belief that VFR travelers sleep and eat at their friends’ and relatives’ houses. Lately, the definition of VFR travelers has been changing due to more studies in the area. The results of these studies have shown that the size of the segment has been underestimated, as has the economic impact the segment has on a destination. This thesis is a complement to Bischoff and Koenig-Lewis study ”VFR Tourism: the Importance of University Students as Hosts”. The purpose of this thesis is to examine how students at Umeå university affect the tourism industry in Umeå. The thesis aims to study the frequency of visits made by the students’ friends and relatives, seasonal distribution of the visits, visitor motives, and economic factors linked to these visits. The study is based on a questionnaire survey with closed-ended questions. The study was conducted through descriptive statistical analysis of the questionnaire. Results of the study indicates that the main reason for friends and relatives to visit students in Umeå is to be with the student in question. Most of the VFR travelers stay at their host’s place, with only a few percent using commercial accommodation. Instead VFR travelers have more economic impact on restaurants, shopping and nightlife.

This dissertation is a theoretically driven empirical analysis of instructional communication in academic advising. It explores the effects of perceived advisor accommodation on advisee learning. Specifically, it examines whether academic advisors employ accommodation communication that influence affect, cognitive learning, and behavioral learning outcomes in advisees. Four hundred and seventeen students were asked to report on their perceptions of learning through an online cross-sectional survey that addressed communication accommodation strategies employed in the advisor/advisee experience. Results show that behavioral learning (measured by intentions) was significantly predicted by advisor inquiry of school-related content (β = .391, p < .01); advisor attentiveness (β = -.169, p < .01); affect toward advising content (β = .154, p < .01); and cognitive knowledge (β = .244, p < .01)].

This thesis explores why political elites in post-conflict ethnically divided states accommodate or resist each other across ethnic lines. The geographic focus of research is on post-conflict Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia. In both countries the track record of post-conflict politics has been uneven and on some issues political elites still resist agreement and co-operation across ethnic lines. This thesis explores the reasons behind this mixed pattern of ethnic accommodation and resistance. Based on the post-conflict literature in social science, the thesis examines the impact that the following explanatory variables have on ethnic accommodation and resistance: power-sharing mechanisms, political party dynamics, informal practices, policy legacies, and external actors. The analysis is situated at the policy level. Two policy areas, highly sensitive for ethnic relations in the post-conflict context, are analysed and compared in each of the two countries. In Bosnia, the focus is on military and police reforms; in Macedonia, on minority education and decentralisation. Within the wider institutionalist approach, the empirical chapters present the findings of process tracing in each of the four policy fields. Based on these findings, the thesis demonstrates that although power sharing arrangements tend to lead to greater ethnic accommodation, they are not always sufficient to produce accommodating outcomes. Informal practices often supplement the work of formal institutions in providing incentives and means towards greater accommodation. External actors tend to enable greater accommodation when perceived as neutral and credible by domestic political elites. Ethnic divisions in both countries remain and require regular management by a flexible set of institutions, which can accommodate challenges unforeseen by peace agreements.

Although social psychologists have made important strides towards understanding the effects of stigma on both individuals’ behaviours and their relationships with non-stigmatized groups, language patterns within this domain have largely been ignored. This thesis aims to address this gap by investigating the role that language patterns play in shaping the relationship between native and non-native speakers against the backdrop of an increasingly relevant context in which communicators with diverse language backgrounds interact: Immigration. Drawing on both communication accommodation theory (CAT) and intergroup contact theory, I investigate the processes by which language styles influence perceptions of both individuals and the groups they represent, as well as attempt to determine how language-based categorizations affect those whose language style deviates from majority group norms. Across six studies, I take the perspective of native speakers and demonstrate that perceptions of communicators based on their language are not uniform but are determined by factors including the style of language used and the speaker’s background. I then take the perspective of non-native speakers and, across two studies, show that negative perceptions of non-native accents can result in poorer interactions with the native speaking out-group as well as a reduced ability to comprehend and communicate in the host country’s language. In sum, the eight studies presented in this thesis demonstrate that perceptions related to one’s style of language can be detrimental to the relationship between native and non-native speakers and by extension host country natives and immigrants. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.