Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The classification of consumable media by mining relevant text for their identifying features is a subjective process. Previous attempts to perform this type of feature mining have generally been limited in scope due having limited access to user data. Many of these studies used human domain knowledge to evaluate the accuracy of features extracted using these methods. In this thesis, we mine book review text to identify nontrivial features of a set of similar books. We make comparisons between books by looking for books that share characteristics, ultimately performing clustering on the books in our data set. We use the same mining process to identify a corresponding set of characteristics in users. Finally, we evaluate the quality of our methods by examining the correlation between our similarity metric, and user ratings.

The present research proposes a general model of Transnational Teams (TNTs) to investigate how value placed on cultural diversity, cultural adaptation, communication quality, and trust affect the performance of TNTs and their interaction to each other. TNTs contribute to decisions about a firm's total portfolio of transnational interests, global brands and products, organizational configuration, and global sourcing strategy. Qualitative and quantitative methods are applied in this study of thirty members of TNTs from diverse teams. Based on the qualitative and quantitative analysis, relationships between theory and practice are examined. The analysis shows that there is a strong relationship between trust and performance of TNTs.

Profiling the customers of the e-commerce company Kalahari.net. The purpose of the study was to profile the customers of the e-commerce company, Kalahari.net which sells books, music CDs, DVDs, videos, computer software and hardware amongst others. The literature study includes a discussion of marketing management and e-commerce in South Africa. Customer profiling is discussed to indicate the need and importance of knowing the customer. The quantitative research was done amongst the customers of Kalahari.net by means of an online questionnaire in 2003. The findings concluded that the customers browse the Internet between one and five hours per week. The customers are aged between 21 and 25, mostly female, predominantly English-speaking, married, two to three people per household, have a monthly household income of more than R18 000, are well-educated and are residing predominantly in Gauteng. The study was concluded with the limitations experienced by the researcher and a short discussion of the general usability of the study. / The purpose of the study was to profile the customers of the e-commerce company, Kalahari.net which sells books, music CDs, DVDs, videos, computer software and hardware amongst others. The literature study includes a discussion of marketing management and e-commerce in South Africa. Customer profiling is discussed to indicate the need and importance of knowing the customer. The quantitative research was done amongst the customers of Kalahari.net by means of an online questionnaire in 2003. The findings concluded that the customers browse the Internet between one and five hours per week. The customers are aged between 21 and 25, mostly female, predominantly English-speaking, married, two to three people per household, have a monthly household income of more than R18 000, are well-educated and are residing predominantly in Gauteng. The study was concluded with the limitations experienced by the researcher and a short discussion of the general usability of the study. / Business Management / M. Comm. (Business Management)

Ursprünglich wurde die Theorie des geplanten Verhaltens (TPB) als suffizient bezeichnet, das heißt: 1.) Alleinige Determinanten der Einstellung, der subjektiven Norm und der wahrgenommenen Verhaltenskontrolle seien Überzeugungen und Bewertungen. 2.) Alleinige Determinanten der Intention seien die Einstellung, die subjektive Norm und die wahrgenommene Verhaltenskontrolle. 3.) Alleinige Determinanten des Verhaltens seien die Intention und für den Fall, dass sie gut mit der tatsächlichen Verhaltenskontrolle übereinstimmt, die wahrgenommene Verhaltenskontrolle. Das Kernziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war ein umfassender Test der Suffizienzannahme der TPB bezüglich der Vorhersage der Verhaltensintention, weil diese aufgrund einer Vielzahl von Untersuchungen, die unabhängige Effekte jeweils einzelner, zusätzlicher Prädiktoren erbracht hatten, zunehmend in die Kritik geraten war. Für einen umfassenden Test mussten alle wesentlichen in der Forschungsliteratur im Sinne potentiell zusätzlicher Intentionsprädiktoren diskutierten Konstrukte gemeinsam untersucht werden. Konkret waren dies die wahrgenommene moralische Verpflichtung, das antizipierte Bedauern, die soziale Identität, mehrere Selbstidentitäten und Erfahrung mit Aspekten des Zielverhaltens. Außerdem wurde das Konzept der wahrgenommenen Verhaltenskontrolle in Selbstwirksamkeit und wahrgenommene externe Hindernisse als interne und externe Aspekte von Verhaltenskontrolle ausdifferenziert. Eine Stichprobe deutscher Studierender der Forstwirtschaft (N = 149) wurde per Fragebogen hinsichtlich ihrer Karriereintention (für oder gegen die Aufnahme einer Tätigkeit in der sub-/tropischen Entwicklungszusammenarbeit) untersucht. Bezüglich der Suffizienz der Intentionsvorhersage ergab sich: 1.) Alle bislang nur getrennt untersuchten zusätzlichen Intentionsprädiktoren konnten in konfirmatorischen Faktorenanalysen mit zwei eher weniger bedeutsamen Ausnahmen empirisch klar voneinander und von den klassischen Konstrukten der TPB unterschieden werden. Hinter ihnen verbirgt sich also nicht jeweils ein und derselbe Wirkfaktor. 2.) Bei simultaner Untersuchung aller Prädiktoren verbesserten die direkte Erfahrung mit Aspekten des Zielverhaltens und die persönliche Norm die Intentionsvorhersage signifikant. Der durch sie zusätzlich aufgeklärte Anteil an Kriteriumsvarianz fällt mit 3% jedoch gering aus. Die anderenorts prädiktionsstarken Identitätskonzepte leisteten keine weiteren Vorhersagebeiträge. Dies wird aus dreierlei Perspektive diskutiert: a) Publication Bias, b) Priming-Effekte durch die Befragung selbst und c) Kontextabhängigkeit der Vorhersagekraft der einzelnen Prädiktoren. 3.) Neben den oder anstelle der Haupteffekte der verschiedenen Konstrukte gab es bei der Vorhersage der Verhaltensintention keinerlei Interaktionseffekte der potentiell zusätzlichen Prädiktoren untereinander und mit den klassischen Prädiktoren der TPB. Bezüglich der exemplarisch mituntersuchten Suffizienz der Vorhersage der globalen Intentionsprädiktoren ergab sich: 4.) Im Widerspruch zu den Annahmen der TPB trugen Werthaltungen als theorie-externe Variablen direkt, also nicht durch Überzeugungen und Bewertungen vermittelt, zur Vorhersage der Einstellung zum Verhalten und der subjektiven Norm bei. Direkte Beiträge theorie-externer Variablen zur Vorhersage der Verhaltenskontrolle waren hingegen nicht zu konstatieren. / Initially the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was considered sufficient, that is: (1) The only determinants of attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control be beliefs and evaluations. (2) The only determinants of intentions be attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control. (3) The only determinants of behavior be intention and?if in accordance with objective behavioral control?perceived behavioral control. The main objective of the work presented here was a comprehensive test of the TPB's sufficiency assumption regarding the prediction of intention since it is this aspect that has come under growing critisism due to a large number of studies yielding independent effects of single additional predictors. A comprehensive test required all potentially additional predictors discussed in the literature to be included. Those were social identity, several self-identities, perceived moral obligation, anticipated regret, and experience with aspects of the target behavior. Furthermore perceived behavioral control was decomposed into self-efficacy and perceived external barriers as internal and external aspects of behavioral control. German forestry students (N = 149) were surveyed by means of questionnaires regarding their career intention to take up or not take up a development aid job in (sub-)tropical forestry. With respect to prediction of intention the following could be shown: (1) All so far only separately examined additional predictors of intention were empirically clearly distinguishable from one another and from the classical TPB predictors of intention by means of confirmatory factor analyses. Two exceptions were of just minor importance. (2) Simultaneous examination of all predictors produced a significant increase in explained variance in intention attributable to direct experience with aspects of the target behavior and to personal norm. The 3% increase in explained variance is to be assessed as small yet. The identity constructs, which had been strong predictors elsewhere, produced no contributions. This is discussed from three perspectives: a) publication bias, b) priming effects due to the survey itself, and c) context dependence of the respective constructs' prediction power. (3) There were no interaction effects between any two predictors of the classical and the additional set above or instead of any main effect. Investigation of the sufficiency of beliefs and evaluations as the only determinants of the global intention predictors' was exemplarily included in the study. (4) Contrary to TPB's assumptions, values as theory external variables contributed directly, i. e. not mediated by beliefs or evaluations, to the prediction of attitude and subjective norm but not so to the prediction of behavioral control.

Profiling the customers of the e-commerce company Kalahari.net. The purpose of the study was to profile the customers of the e-commerce company, Kalahari.net which sells books, music CDs, DVDs, videos, computer software and hardware amongst others. The literature study includes a discussion of marketing management and e-commerce in South Africa. Customer profiling is discussed to indicate the need and importance of knowing the customer. The quantitative research was done amongst the customers of Kalahari.net by means of an online questionnaire in 2003. The findings concluded that the customers browse the Internet between one and five hours per week. The customers are aged between 21 and 25, mostly female, predominantly English-speaking, married, two to three people per household, have a monthly household income of more than R18 000, are well-educated and are residing predominantly in Gauteng. The study was concluded with the limitations experienced by the researcher and a short discussion of the general usability of the study. / The purpose of the study was to profile the customers of the e-commerce company, Kalahari.net which sells books, music CDs, DVDs, videos, computer software and hardware amongst others. The literature study includes a discussion of marketing management and e-commerce in South Africa. Customer profiling is discussed to indicate the need and importance of knowing the customer. The quantitative research was done amongst the customers of Kalahari.net by means of an online questionnaire in 2003. The findings concluded that the customers browse the Internet between one and five hours per week. The customers are aged between 21 and 25, mostly female, predominantly English-speaking, married, two to three people per household, have a monthly household income of more than R18 000, are well-educated and are residing predominantly in Gauteng. The study was concluded with the limitations experienced by the researcher and a short discussion of the general usability of the study. / Business Management / M. Comm. (Business Management)

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / In today’s workforce, multitasking on the job has become increasingly important. However, past research has characterized multitasking primarily as a counterproductive work strategy. Drawing from the theory of person-job (PJ) fit, in this this study it is proposed that multitasking may not always result in performance decrements but rather that people’s perceptions and experiences of multitasking may differ depending on individual differences. The theory of PJ fit suggests positive outcomes when there is a match between employee preferences, abilities and job characteristics. Using this framework, this study proposes the concept of multitasking fit and predicts that a match between multitasking preferences and multitasking job demands will result in positive work attitudes. Lastly, it is predicted that higher working memory will lead to higher job performance, especially in jobs requiring higher amounts of multitasking. This study found that PJ fit had generally positive effects on work-related outcomes such as job satisfaction, organizational commitment, turnover intentions, and strains. Due to measurement issues, the relationship between working memory and job performance could not be assessed. However, the results of this study relating to PJ fit suggest that perhaps multitasking is not always a bad strategy within the workplace and that its consequences may instead depend on the degree of fit between an individual and his or her working environment.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / In order to help individuals feel more engaged within work organizations and more satisfied with their jobs, employers have started to administer stay interviews within organizations, with the end goal being to retain organizational members. Stay interviews have become a proactive solution to the retention problem and have been seen as an alternative to the exit interview. This study proposes that through the use of stay interviews, organizational members will feel more engaged, satisfied, and committed to an organization, which will ultimately result in the retention of organizational members.

Ursprünglich wurde die Theorie des geplanten Verhaltens (TPB) als suffizient bezeichnet, das heißt: 1.) Alleinige Determinanten der Einstellung, der subjektiven Norm und der wahrgenommenen Verhaltenskontrolle seien Überzeugungen und Bewertungen. 2.) Alleinige Determinanten der Intention seien die Einstellung, die subjektive Norm und die wahrgenommene Verhaltenskontrolle. 3.) Alleinige Determinanten des Verhaltens seien die Intention und für den Fall, dass sie gut mit der tatsächlichen Verhaltenskontrolle übereinstimmt, die wahrgenommene Verhaltenskontrolle. Das Kernziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war ein umfassender Test der Suffizienzannahme der TPB bezüglich der Vorhersage der Verhaltensintention, weil diese aufgrund einer Vielzahl von Untersuchungen, die unabhängige Effekte jeweils einzelner, zusätzlicher Prädiktoren erbracht hatten, zunehmend in die Kritik geraten war. Für einen umfassenden Test mussten alle wesentlichen in der Forschungsliteratur im Sinne potentiell zusätzlicher Intentionsprädiktoren diskutierten Konstrukte gemeinsam untersucht werden. Konkret waren dies die wahrgenommene moralische Verpflichtung, das antizipierte Bedauern, die soziale Identität, mehrere Selbstidentitäten und Erfahrung mit Aspekten des Zielverhaltens. Außerdem wurde das Konzept der wahrgenommenen Verhaltenskontrolle in Selbstwirksamkeit und wahrgenommene externe Hindernisse als interne und externe Aspekte von Verhaltenskontrolle ausdifferenziert. Eine Stichprobe deutscher Studierender der Forstwirtschaft (N = 149) wurde per Fragebogen hinsichtlich ihrer Karriereintention (für oder gegen die Aufnahme einer Tätigkeit in der sub-/tropischen Entwicklungszusammenarbeit) untersucht. Bezüglich der Suffizienz der Intentionsvorhersage ergab sich: 1.) Alle bislang nur getrennt untersuchten zusätzlichen Intentionsprädiktoren konnten in konfirmatorischen Faktorenanalysen mit zwei eher weniger bedeutsamen Ausnahmen empirisch klar voneinander und von den klassischen Konstrukten der TPB unterschieden werden. Hinter ihnen verbirgt sich also nicht jeweils ein und derselbe Wirkfaktor. 2.) Bei simultaner Untersuchung aller Prädiktoren verbesserten die direkte Erfahrung mit Aspekten des Zielverhaltens und die persönliche Norm die Intentionsvorhersage signifikant. Der durch sie zusätzlich aufgeklärte Anteil an Kriteriumsvarianz fällt mit 3% jedoch gering aus. Die anderenorts prädiktionsstarken Identitätskonzepte leisteten keine weiteren Vorhersagebeiträge. Dies wird aus dreierlei Perspektive diskutiert: a) Publication Bias, b) Priming-Effekte durch die Befragung selbst und c) Kontextabhängigkeit der Vorhersagekraft der einzelnen Prädiktoren. 3.) Neben den oder anstelle der Haupteffekte der verschiedenen Konstrukte gab es bei der Vorhersage der Verhaltensintention keinerlei Interaktionseffekte der potentiell zusätzlichen Prädiktoren untereinander und mit den klassischen Prädiktoren der TPB. Bezüglich der exemplarisch mituntersuchten Suffizienz der Vorhersage der globalen Intentionsprädiktoren ergab sich: 4.) Im Widerspruch zu den Annahmen der TPB trugen Werthaltungen als theorie-externe Variablen direkt, also nicht durch Überzeugungen und Bewertungen vermittelt, zur Vorhersage der Einstellung zum Verhalten und der subjektiven Norm bei. Direkte Beiträge theorie-externer Variablen zur Vorhersage der Verhaltenskontrolle waren hingegen nicht zu konstatieren. / Initially the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was considered sufficient, that is: (1) The only determinants of attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control be beliefs and evaluations. (2) The only determinants of intentions be attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control. (3) The only determinants of behavior be intention and?if in accordance with objective behavioral control?perceived behavioral control. The main objective of the work presented here was a comprehensive test of the TPB's sufficiency assumption regarding the prediction of intention since it is this aspect that has come under growing critisism due to a large number of studies yielding independent effects of single additional predictors. A comprehensive test required all potentially additional predictors discussed in the literature to be included. Those were social identity, several self-identities, perceived moral obligation, anticipated regret, and experience with aspects of the target behavior. Furthermore perceived behavioral control was decomposed into self-efficacy and perceived external barriers as internal and external aspects of behavioral control. German forestry students (N = 149) were surveyed by means of questionnaires regarding their career intention to take up or not take up a development aid job in (sub-)tropical forestry. With respect to prediction of intention the following could be shown: (1) All so far only separately examined additional predictors of intention were empirically clearly distinguishable from one another and from the classical TPB predictors of intention by means of confirmatory factor analyses. Two exceptions were of just minor importance. (2) Simultaneous examination of all predictors produced a significant increase in explained variance in intention attributable to direct experience with aspects of the target behavior and to personal norm. The 3% increase in explained variance is to be assessed as small yet. The identity constructs, which had been strong predictors elsewhere, produced no contributions. This is discussed from three perspectives: a) publication bias, b) priming effects due to the survey itself, and c) context dependence of the respective constructs' prediction power. (3) There were no interaction effects between any two predictors of the classical and the additional set above or instead of any main effect. Investigation of the sufficiency of beliefs and evaluations as the only determinants of the global intention predictors' was exemplarily included in the study. (4) Contrary to TPB's assumptions, values as theory external variables contributed directly, i. e. not mediated by beliefs or evaluations, to the prediction of attitude and subjective norm but not so to the prediction of behavioral control.

A large and growing body of research exists on how the design of the environment can positively or negatively affect people’s health and well-being, as well as influence their behavior. Researchers in this field, known as “environmental design research,” have long acknowledged the challenge of translating their findings into formats that are accepted and used by practitioners. This study explores how environmental design research on urban open space and the practice-oriented translations of it are used by landscape architects who have been recognized in the profession for their designs of parks, plazas, and streets in urban areas. Through interviews with practitioners, an understanding emerges of the impact of environmental design research on contemporary practice, leading to recommendations that could enhance it in the future. Key findings of the study indicate that translations of the research, specifically in the form of design guidelines, while intended to inform practice, are not widely used by designers. Rather, to understand how design impacts human behavior, practitioners rely primarily on what they refer to as intuition, largely informed by their own direct observations of people in public space. The quality of their personal observations, therefore, is critical to their depth of understanding of human behavior and the environment. The study concludes with recommendations that could improve the skills of design students and practitioners to conduct, interpret, and apply their own direct observations in their designs, using methods and findings from the field of environmental design research to inform and enrich this process.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This paper describes the influence of body satisfaction, weight satisfaction, and BMI on sexual behaviors among female college students.