O cirurgião dentista é constantemente exposto a um elevado número de doenças ocupacionais. Alterações no sistema musculoesquelético são freqüentes, principalmente nos membros superiores e coluna vertebral, que podem interferir negativamente, na capacidade funcional desses profissionais. O objetivo deste trabalho é contribuir para o entendimento das doenças ocupacionais associadas ao sistema musculoesquelético relacionado à coluna vertebral dos odontólogos, durante sua atividade laboral, bem como as questões psicossociais associadas. Este documento contempla uma sequência de dois artigos sobre as condições de trabalho e desordens musculoesqueléticas relacionadas à coluna vertebral em dentistas. O primeiro apresenta uma revisão teórica sobre a atividade laboral dos dentistas, evidenciando os problemas relacionados à coluna vertebral, à carga de trabalho, aos riscos biomecânicos, às principais patologias e fatores psicossociais associados. Desta maneira, se evidenciou que estes profissionais estão sujeitos a uma alta carga de trabalho e desenvolvendo posturas que comprometem a integridade da coluna vertebral gerando dor e incapacidade para o trabalho. O segundo apresenta um método de análise e um estudo aplicado para investigar as desordens musculoesqueléticas relacionadas à coluna vertebral e fatores associados às condições ocupacionais de dentistas. Este artigo explicita as regiões da coluna vertebral mais acometida por queixas musculoesqueléticas e fatores associados. O método investigativo proposto mostrou que os problemas concernentes ao trabalho dos dentistas estão provocando dores e alterações musculoesqueléticas na região da coluna vertebral e são devidos principalmente à postura de trabalho, o esforço físico, os movimentos repetitivos e carga horária de trabalho. / The dental surgeon is constantly exposed to a large number of occupational illnesses. Alterations in the musculoskeletal system are frequent, especially in the upper limbs and spine, which can interfere negatively in the functional capacity of these professionals. The aim of this study is to contribute to the understanding of occupational diseases associated to the musculoskeletal system. Mainly those related to the spine of dentists during their work activities as well as psychosocial issues. This document includes a sequence of two articles about the working conditions and musculoskeletal disorders related to the spine of dentists. The first one presents a theoretical review about labor activity of dentists, highlighting the problems related to the spine, the workload, the biomechanical risks, the major pathologies and psychosocial factors associated. In this way, it is evidenced that these professionals are subject to a high workload and developing postures that compromise the integrity of the spine causing pain and inability to work. The second presents a method of analysis and an applied study to investigate musculoskeletal disorders related to the spine and occupational factors associated with conditions of dentists. This article explains the spinal regions most affected by musculoskeletal complaints and associated factors. The investigative method proposed, showed that problems regarding to the work of dentists are causing pain and musculoskeletal alterations in the spinal region and are due mainly to the working posture, physical effort, repetitive movements and workload.

M.Comm. / The goal of marketing is to supply customers with products and services that satisfies their needs at a profit to the organisation. Several products and services achieve this goal, but instances where the customers' needs are not satisfied do exist, which leads to customer dissatisfaction. Total customer satisfaction is a noble but unrealistic goal. Customer dissatisfaction is a reality and a result of the purchasing process. Defensive marketing, which aims to retain existing customers, is an inseparable part of the effort of delivering unparalleled customer satisfaction. The retention of an existing customer is as important as obtaining new customers for the organisation, and will ensure the long term survival of the organisation. Customers are becoming increasingly sophisticated about the purchasing of products and services. The increase of the level of dissatisfaction experienced by customers when purchasing goods and services is mainly due to the increase in sophistication. Dissatisfaction is a primary cause of customer complaints and an integral part of the marketing cycle. Effective resolutions of customer complaints hold advantages for both the customer and the organisation and is vital to the long term survival of any organisation. The broad goals of the study are: To determine the level of customer satisfaction with their purchases of products and services. To determine customers' complaint behaviour. To determine organisations' responses to customer complaints. The methodology of the study takes the form of two separate empirical research designs, the first design examines customer's attitude towards complaining, and the second researches organisations' response to customer complaints, which is superseded by the theoretical overview of the topic. The empirical research is both exploratory and descriptive in nature. Data was obtained by means of questionnaires that were posted to customer respondent's resident in Gauteng and delivered to organisations in Johannesburg and Pretoria. The major findings of the study include: Customer dissatisfaction is the norm rather than the exception with the purchase of products and services. Regardless of the dissatisfaction experienced by customers, customers do not complain. Customers are not satisfied with the organisations' attempts in resolving their complaints. Organisations are aware of customer goals when complaining. Customers and organisations differ regarding the most effective manner in which to voice a complaint. Differences exist regarding satisfaction levels between product categories. The findings of the study compare with similar studies undertaken in other markets around the world.

O cirurgião dentista é constantemente exposto a um elevado número de doenças ocupacionais. Alterações no sistema musculoesquelético são freqüentes, principalmente nos membros superiores e coluna vertebral, que podem interferir negativamente, na capacidade funcional desses profissionais. O objetivo deste trabalho é contribuir para o entendimento das doenças ocupacionais associadas ao sistema musculoesquelético relacionado à coluna vertebral dos odontólogos, durante sua atividade laboral, bem como as questões psicossociais associadas. Este documento contempla uma sequência de dois artigos sobre as condições de trabalho e desordens musculoesqueléticas relacionadas à coluna vertebral em dentistas. O primeiro apresenta uma revisão teórica sobre a atividade laboral dos dentistas, evidenciando os problemas relacionados à coluna vertebral, à carga de trabalho, aos riscos biomecânicos, às principais patologias e fatores psicossociais associados. Desta maneira, se evidenciou que estes profissionais estão sujeitos a uma alta carga de trabalho e desenvolvendo posturas que comprometem a integridade da coluna vertebral gerando dor e incapacidade para o trabalho. O segundo apresenta um método de análise e um estudo aplicado para investigar as desordens musculoesqueléticas relacionadas à coluna vertebral e fatores associados às condições ocupacionais de dentistas. Este artigo explicita as regiões da coluna vertebral mais acometida por queixas musculoesqueléticas e fatores associados. O método investigativo proposto mostrou que os problemas concernentes ao trabalho dos dentistas estão provocando dores e alterações musculoesqueléticas na região da coluna vertebral e são devidos principalmente à postura de trabalho, o esforço físico, os movimentos repetitivos e carga horária de trabalho. / The dental surgeon is constantly exposed to a large number of occupational illnesses. Alterations in the musculoskeletal system are frequent, especially in the upper limbs and spine, which can interfere negatively in the functional capacity of these professionals. The aim of this study is to contribute to the understanding of occupational diseases associated to the musculoskeletal system. Mainly those related to the spine of dentists during their work activities as well as psychosocial issues. This document includes a sequence of two articles about the working conditions and musculoskeletal disorders related to the spine of dentists. The first one presents a theoretical review about labor activity of dentists, highlighting the problems related to the spine, the workload, the biomechanical risks, the major pathologies and psychosocial factors associated. In this way, it is evidenced that these professionals are subject to a high workload and developing postures that compromise the integrity of the spine causing pain and inability to work. The second presents a method of analysis and an applied study to investigate musculoskeletal disorders related to the spine and occupational factors associated with conditions of dentists. This article explains the spinal regions most affected by musculoskeletal complaints and associated factors. The investigative method proposed, showed that problems regarding to the work of dentists are causing pain and musculoskeletal alterations in the spinal region and are due mainly to the working posture, physical effort, repetitive movements and workload.

Abstract available in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine.

This thesis presents research investigating objectively and subjectively examined cognitive impairment in Bipolar Disorder (BD) in comparison to disorders with similar cognitive symptomatologies. First, a systematic review and meta-analyses compared the cognitive performance between BD and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or dementia. Studies included in this review and meta-analyses assessed cognitive performances using multiple objective cognitive assessments. Results from these meta-analyses found greater impairment in BD relative to MCI on motor initiative abilities. Additionally, there were similarities in cognitive deficits on delayed memory recall and visuoconstructional abilities between BD and MCI. For the comparison between BD and dementia, we analyzed the findings of studies comparing BD across different mood states with different types of dementia, where BD in acute mood episode demonstrated greater deficits in attention, working memory, verbal memory, and executive function than behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). In contrast, overall cognitive functioning and verbal fluency was more impaired in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in comparison to BD during euthymia. Next, we shifted the focus on examining subjective cognitive complaints in BD relative to Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Our study is unique from previous literature with the same aim considering that it only involved patients recently diagnosed with BD, and subjective complaints were assessed with the Cognitive Complaints in Bipolar Disorder Rating Assessment (COBRA), an instrument specific to cognitive complaints detected in BD. The findings demonstrate higher subjective cognitive complaints in euthymic BD in comparison to euthymic MDD, suggesting greater self-perceived difficulties in BD, even in the beginning of the illness. Taken together, findings from the studies presented in this thesis highlight the importance of early detection and intervention of cognitive impairments in BD, with the aim of enhancing cognitive abilities, and prevention of further cognitive degradation with the progression of the disorder / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

The purpose of this research was to investigate how the quality control manager perceived complaints received by textile companies from their business customers. The population included all textile firms that weave fabric for outerwear (apparel). A packet consisting of cover letter, questionnaire (developed by the researcher), and stamped self-addressed envelope was mailed to each quality control manager in the population. Fifty-four usable questionnaires (28 percent) were returned. The Chi-squared test for independence revealed that at the .05 level, no relationship existed between the number of employee-hours spent handling business customer complaints and the establishment of written guidelines for complaint resolution within the quality control department; nor between the office that handled complaints from business customers and end-use consumers, and the office from which quality control received business customer complaints. The Chi-squared test also found that no relationship existed between the ratings for intended end use for fabric that weavers produced and the type of business customers from whom the quality control manager received complaints; and between the time spent handling different types of business customer complaints received by the quality control managers and the source of these complaints. The quality control and sales offices frequently collaborated on complaints to ensure that their business customers received satisfactory resolutions within the established time. The most frequent complaints received were spots/stains/streaks/dye resistant area, or faulty weaving that most likely came from the consumer product manufacturer, converter, or dyer/finisher and consumed almost 50 percent of the time spent handling complaints. / M.S.

Associations between the experience of traumatic events and illness behaviors such as health complaints and healthcare use are reported in recent studies. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms and diagnosis have been found to mediate this trauma-illness relationship. Differences in health behaviors have additionally been noted in the literature, with trauma victims engaging in more negative health behaviors, which may subsequently affect illness status. Further, illness behaviors such as somatic complaints and healthcare utilization are influenced by modeling and reinforcement of such behaviors. The current study sought to evaluate the contributions of negative health behaviors, illness-related learning history, and PTSD symptoms on trauma victims' health complaints, functional health status, and utilization of healthcare services. The final sample included 298 undergraduate students at a large southeastern university. Participants provided information about their trauma histories, health behaviors, illness-related learning history and current illness behaviors on group-administered self-report questionnaires. Consent to obtain utilization information from the university health center was also obtained. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to assess the additive contributions of the predictor variables. The results indicated that health complaints, functional health status, and utilization behavior are each influenced by trauma history, with more illness behavior associated with greater trauma severity. In addition, health behaviors, illness-related learning history and PTSD symptoms all contribute to the prediction of health complaints and functional health status. Utilization behavior, however, was predicted only by trauma history and learning history. Further, the different types of learning history (modeling, reinforcement, priming) appear to affect different illness behaviors. Implications of the study are discussed. / Ph. D.

This Ph.D. thesis provides an analysis of "ordered statements" in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police ("R.C.M.P."). Statements can be compelled from R.C.M.P. members who are under "internal" investigation for misconduct. Ordered statements from police officers raise a number of difficult and complex questions that have not been thoroughly examined in Canada. Accountability in policing consists of a complex web of criminal, internal, administrative, public, and civil mechanisms to review misconduct. In order to properly consider ordered statements four threads of analysis are utilized. First, by way of background, context and comparison, this thesis describes and evaluates internal management, culture and discipline in policing, in particular the R.C.M.P. Second, this thesis examines and evaluates the role of various external mechanisms that regulate police conduct. Third, various models of civilian oversight are compared and contrasted to position the R.C.M.P. regime internationally. Fourth, the working environment of police officers and R.C.M.P. members is explored, demonstrating that it is significantly different from other occupations, calling into question the applicability of traditional management practices. The thesis concludes that the legal and constitutional position of ordered statements is uncertain, adding to morale and organizational problems in the R.C.M.P. Based on interviews with 107 members, and an examination of other sources, this thesis reveals how ordered statements in the R.C.M.P. work in actual practice, and how this mechanism impacts upon individual members and the organization itself. The results reveal marked disparity between official and member accounts. The material and findings not only challenge basic theoretical premises that inform the employment context of R.C.M.P. members, they seriously question the function of and need for ordered statements. They also establish that the specific employment and organizational context must be more adequately considered by academics and policy-makers when examining the issue of ordered statements. These findings fill gaps in the literature and hopefully contribute to theory on police accountability. The thesis ends with a number of recommendations to improve the current R.C.M.P. regime.

Thesis (MPhil (General Linguistics))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The broad topic of this study is the nature and the effects of making and interpreting complaints in intercultural interactions involving international students and South African administrative staff in two Stellenbosch University residences. It appears that during these interactions, the international students are often frustrated by the way their complaints are handled. As a speech act, the effectiveness of a complaint depends on the way it is expressed and understood and also on the social context in which it is performed. In this regard, the study examines the influence of cultural differences on the way complaints are made and responded to in the above-mentioned intercultural interactions. The study aims to analyse intercultural situations involving the making and understanding of complaints that may result in misunderstandings. The complaints data were collected through a discourse completion task, performed by 24 international students belonging to six cultural groups, namely American, Chinese, Dutch, Gabonese, German and Libyan. All the students were residents in one of two student residences of Stellenbosch University. The social acceptability judgments data were elicited from three Afrikaans-speaking South African staff members of these residences, and from an additional six Afrikaans-speaking South African students who served as informants. All the data were analyzed within the pragmatic framework of the CCSARP (Cross-Cultural Speech Act Realization Project), as developed by Blum-Kulka, House and Kasper (1989). The main findings of the analysis indicate that the six cultural groups differed in the way they made their complaints. Moreover, these differences influenced the manner in which some complaints were understood by the staff members. It was also found that the staff members’ responses to the complaints were influenced by their social acceptability judgments of the international students’ utterances. These findings lead to three main conclusions: (i) the way in which complaints are made and understood is influenced by factors that relate to cultural differences; (ii) such cultural differences may lead to misunderstandings; and (iii) conscious efforts to create greater awareness of cultural differences will lead to a better understanding of the way in which people of different cultural groups make and respond to complaints. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie handel breedweg oor die aard en effek van klagtes, soos uitgedruk en geïnterpreteer tydens interkulturele interaksies tussen internasionele studente en Suid-Afrikaanse administratiewe personeel in twee koshuise van die Universiteit Stellenbosch. Dit blyk dat die studente dikwels gefrustreerd voel oor die manier waarop hulle klagtes in sulke interaksies gehanteer word. Die effektiwiteit van ’n klagte, as ’n taalhandeling, word bepaal deur die manier waarop dit uitgedruk en verstaan word, asook deur die sosiale konteks waarbinne dit uitgevoer word. Die studie ondersoek in dié verband die invloed van kulturele verskille op die manier waarop klagtes uitgedruk en op gereageer word in die bogenoemde interaksies. Die doel van die studie is om ’n analise te maak van interkulturele situasies waar misverstande kan ontstaan by die uitdruk en interpretasie van klagtes. Die klagte-data is ingesamel deur die voltooiing van ’n diskoers-taak waarby 24 studente van ses verskillende kultuurgroepe betrek is: Amerikaans, Chinees, Duits, Gabonees, Libies en Nederlands. Al die studente was inwoners van een van twee koshuise van Stellenbosch Universiteit. Die data oor sosiale aanvaarbaarheidsoordele is verkry van drie Afrikaanssprekende Suid-Afrikaanse personeellede, en van ’n verdere ses Afrikaanssprekende Suid-Afrikaanse studente wat opgetree het as informante. Al die data is ontleed binne die pragmatiekraamwerk van die CCSARP (“Cross-Cultural Speech Act Realization Project”), soos ontwikkel deur Blum- Kulka, House en Kasper (1989). Die hoofbevindings van die analise dui daarop dat die ses kultuurgroepe van mekaar verskil wat betref die manier waarop hulle hul klagtes uitgedruk het, en dat hierdie verskille ’n invloed het op die manier waarop sommige klagtes geïnterpreteer is deur die personeellede. ’n Verdere bevinding is dat die personeellede se reaksies op die klagtes beïnvloed is deur hulle beoordeling van die sosiale aanvaarbaarheid van die internasionale studente se uitings. Drie hoofgevolgtrekkings kan op basis van dié bevindings gemaak word: (i) die manier waarop klagtes uitgedruk en geïnterpreteer word, word beïnvloed deur faktore wat verband hou met kulturele verskille; (ii) sulke kulturele verskille kan lei tot misverstande; en (iii) daadwerklike pogings om ’n groter bewussyn van kulturele verskille te skep, sal lei tot ’n beter begrip van die manier waarop klagtes uitgedruk en op gereageer word deur mense van verskillende kultuurgroepe.

This Ph.D. thesis provides an analysis of "ordered statements" in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police ("R.C.M.P."). Statements can be compelled from R.C.M.P. members who are under "internal" investigation for misconduct. Ordered statements from police officers raise a number of difficult and complex questions that have not been thoroughly examined in Canada. Accountability in policing consists of a complex web of criminal, internal, administrative, public, and civil mechanisms to review misconduct. In order to properly consider ordered statements four threads of analysis are utilized. First, by way of background, context and comparison, this thesis describes and evaluates internal management, culture and discipline in policing, in particular the R.C.M.P. Second, this thesis examines and evaluates the role of various external mechanisms that regulate police conduct. Third, various models of civilian oversight are compared and contrasted to position the R.C.M.P. regime internationally. Fourth, the working environment of police officers and R.C.M.P. members is explored, demonstrating that it is significantly different from other occupations, calling into question the applicability of traditional management practices. The thesis concludes that the legal and constitutional position of ordered statements is uncertain, adding to morale and organizational problems in the R.C.M.P. Based on interviews with 107 members, and an examination of other sources, this thesis reveals how ordered statements in the R.C.M.P. work in actual practice, and how this mechanism impacts upon individual members and the organization itself. The results reveal marked disparity between official and member accounts. The material and findings not only challenge basic theoretical premises that inform the employment context of R.C.M.P. members, they seriously question the function of and need for ordered statements. They also establish that the specific employment and organizational context must be more adequately considered by academics and policy-makers when examining the issue of ordered statements. These findings fill gaps in the literature and hopefully contribute to theory on police accountability. The thesis ends with a number of recommendations to improve the current R.C.M.P. regime. / Law, Peter A. Allard School of / Graduate