Darbo objektas – išvykstamojo turizmo UAB „Baltijos kelionių agentūra“ darbuotojų kompetencijos. Darbo tikslas – įvertinti išvykstamojo turizmo UAB „Baltijos kelionių agentūra“ darbuotojų kompetencijas. Darbo uždaviniai: 1. Išanalizuoti mokslinę literatūrą išvykstamojo turizmo darbuotojų kompetencijų tematika. 2. Išsiaiškinti UAB „Baltijos kelionių agentūra“ darbuotojų nuomonę apie reikiamas kompetencijas. 3. Nustatyti UAB „Baltijos kelionių agentūra“ darbuotojų kompetencijas vadovo požiūriu. 4. Atlikti darbuotojų ir vadovo kompetencijų vertinimo lyginamąją analizę. Pirmoje darbo dalyje išanalizuota išvykstamojo turizmo darbuotojų kompetencijos teoriniai aspektai. Antroje darbo dalyje atliktas tyrimas bei vadovo interviu parodė, kad UAB „Baltijos kelionių agentūra“ vadovui svarbiausios darbuotojų kompetencijos – produkto žinojimas bei užsienio kalbos mokėjimas, tuo tarpu įmonės darbuotojų socialinio intelekto kompetencijų svarbumas yra silpniau vertinamas negu profesinių kompetencijų. / The object - outbound tourism JSC "Baltic travel agency" employee competence. The aim - to assess the outbound tourism JSC "Baltic travel agency" staff competencies. The goals: 1. Analyze scientific literature outbound tourism employees' competencies topics. 2. Analyze JSC "Baltic travel agency" staff views on required competencies. 3. Set JSC "Baltic travel agency" staff competencies in terms of head. 4. Perform employee and manager competency assessment benchmarking. The first part analyzes outbound tourism staff competence theoretical aspects. In the second part of a study and the Head of the interview showed that JSC "Baltic travel agency" manager of employee competencies - product knowledge and foreign language, while the employees of social intelligence competencies significance is less valued than professional competence.

<p>Visual search, the process of detecting relevant items within an environment, is a vital skill required for navigating one's visual environment as well as for careers, such as radiology and airport security, that rely upon accurate searching. Research over the course of several decades has established that visual search requires the integration of low- and high-level cognitive processes, including sensory analysis, attentional allocation, target discrimination, and decision-making. Search abilities are malleable and vary in accordance with long-term experiences, direct practice, and contextual factors in the immediate environment; however, the mechanisms responsible for changes in search performance remain largely unclear. A series of studies examine variation in visual search abilities and performance and aim to identify the underlying mechanisms.</p><p>To assess differences associated with long-term experiences, visual search performance is compared between laypersons (typically undergraduates) and specific populations, including radiologists and avid action video game players. Behavioral markers of search processes are used to elucidate causes of enhanced search performance. To assess differences associated with direct practice, laypersons perform a visual search task over five consecutive days, and electrophysiological activity is recorded from the scalp on the first and last days of the protocol. Electrophysiological markers associated with specific stages of processing are analyzed to determine neurocognitive changes contributing to improved performance. To assess differences associated with contextual factors, laypersons are randomly assigned to experimental conditions in which they complete a visual search task within a particular framework or in the presence or absence of motivation, feedback, and/or time pressure.</p><p>Results demonstrate that search abilities can improve through experience and direct training, but the mechanisms underlying effects in each case are different. Long-term experiences are associated with strategic attentional allocation, but direct training can improve low-level sensory analysis in addition to higher-level processes. Results also demonstrate nuanced effects of experience and context. On searches that contain multiple targets, task framework impacts accuracy for detecting additional targets after one target has been identified. The combination of motivation and feedback enhances accuracy for both single- and multiple-target searches. Implications for cognitive theory and applications to occupational protocols are discussed.</p> / Dissertation

L'objectif de ce travail était de questionner l'anticipation dans les sports de balle en prenant support de l'activité tennis. Pour anticiper, les informations utilisées peuvent provenir de deux sources principales : d'une part, la gestuelle de l'adversaire et d'autre part, des connaissances tactiques sur le jeu, les probabilités ou le contexte.Pour réaliser ce travail, nous nous sommes appuyés sur " l'approche de la performance experte " d'Ericsson et Smith (1991). Dans une première étude, nous avons réalisé une analyse in situ de l'anticipation chez des joueurs de tennis de haut niveau Les résultats de cette première étude ont montré que les joueurs anticipent essentiellement quand ils sont en situation défavorable et que le risque de perdre le point est grand. De plus, deux fenêtres temporelles distinctes d'anticipation sont apparues : une fenêtre précoce dans laquelle le taux de réussite est important et les informations utilisées peuvent être en lien avec les aspects tactiques ; une fenêtre plus tardive dans laquelle le taux de réussite est plus faible et les informations utilisées peuvent être en lien avec la gestuelle adverse.Dans une deuxième étape, nous avons mis en place des protocoles expérimentaux permettant d'étudier ces deux fenêtres temporelles et ces différentes sources d'informations. Dans l'étude N°2, nous avons fait varier la disponibilité de l'information gestuelle en fonction de la pertinence de l'information tactique. Les résultats obtenus ont montré que seuls les experts étaient capables d'utiliser de l'information sur la posture et la gestuelle de l'adversaire afin d'anticiper. Dans l'étude N°3, nous avons manipulé la quantité d'information tactique présente dans le point en contrôlant la durée de présentation précédant la réponse. Les résultats n'ont pas montré de différences dans la justesse des anticipations entre les différents temps de présentation. Cependant, le temps de réponse était plus court dans la condition où le temps de présentation était le plus long indiquant donc des prises de décision plus rapide pour anticiper dans cette condition.Enfin, dans une troisième étape, nous avons réalisé un protocole d'entraînement afin d'essayer d'améliorer l'anticipation basée sur les connaissances tactiques et probabilistiques en lien avec un adversaire particulier. Celui-ci a permis une amélioration de la performance d'anticipation et une diminution du temps de réponse pour le groupe apprentissage spécifique.Les résultats obtenus à travers ce travail fournissent des données quantitatives sur l'anticipation experte en tennis permettant la mise en place de tâches représentatives. De plus, ils suggèrent l'existence de moments clés d'utilisation des différentes sources d'informations disponibles afin d'anticiper. Pour finir, il semble possible d'améliorer les habiletés d'anticipation, même chez des joueurs experts, en mettant en place des protocoles d'entraînement. Ce travail ouvre des perspectives de recherche nombreuses qui pourront permettre par exemple de formaliser de manière plus précise la nature des informations utilisées pour anticiper.

Les transformateurs de puissance sont des éléments clés des systèmes électriques. Leurs défaillances sont très coûteuses, principalement à cause de la non-disponibilité du service électrique qu'elles entraînent. L'évaluation rapide et précise de défauts internes des transformateurs est en conséquence un facteur clé d'une exploitation efficace et sûre. Un tel diagnostic est généralement établi par un expert humain qui fait corréler différents types d'informations telles que des résultats d'essais électriques ou chimiques, le déclenchement de protections ou l'historique de l'appareil... Cette thèse présente une méthode d'aide au diagnostic de défauts originale qui reprend, en les formalisant, la démarche et la capitalisation d'expérience de l'expert. Les informations disponibles sur le transformateur à étudier sont mises en correspondance avec le système proposé de manière systématique. Des hypothèses de défaut sont alors formulées et un degré de confiance calculé pour chacune d'elle. Pour améliorer la confiance en certaines de ces hypothèses la méthode recherche, et propose, de renseigner des informations utiles pouvant améliorer le diagnostic. Il progresse ainsi jusqu'à ce que la confiance d'au moins une hypothèse soit suffisante pour l'utilisateur. Le système peut de plus évoluer efficacement dans le temps en prenant facilement en compte de nouveaux types d'essais ou de nouvelles informations pouvant être discriminants dans un diagnostic, et ainsi améliorer les diagnostics futurs automatiquement.

Research based on translation expertise, which is also sometimes referred to as translation competence, has been a growing area of investigation in translation studies. These studies have not only focused on how translation expertise may be conceptualised and defined, but also on how this expertise is acquired and developed by translators. One of the key observations that arise from an overview of current research in the field of translation expertise is the prevalence of process-oriented methodologies in the field, with product-oriented methodologies used comparatively infrequently. This study is based on the assumption that product-oriented methodologies, and specifically the corpus-based approach, may provide new insights into translation expertise. The study therefore sets out to address the lack of comprehensive and systematic corpus-based analyses of translation expertise. One of the foremost concerns of corpus-based translation studies has been the investigation of what is known as the features of translated language which are often categorised as: explicitation, simplification, normalisation and levelling-out. The main objective of this study is to investigate the hypothesis that the features of translated language can be taken as an index of translation expertise. The hypothesis is founded on the premise that if the features of translated language are considered to be the textual traces of translation strategies, then the different translation strategies associated with different levels of translation expertise will be reflected in different frequencies and distributions of these features of translated language in the work of experienced and inexperienced translators. The study therefore aimed to determine if there are significant differences in the frequency and distribution of the features of translated language in the work of experienced and inexperienced translators. As background to this main research question, the study also investigated a secondary hypothesis in which translated language demonstrates unique features that are the consequence of various aspects of the translation process. A custom-built comparable English corpus was used for the study, comprising three subcorpora: translations by experienced translators, translations by inexperienced translators, and non-translations. A selection of linguistic operationalization’s was chosen for each of the four features of translated language. The differences in the frequency and distribution of these linguistic operationalization’s in the three sub corpora were analysed by means of parametric or non-parametric ANOVA. The findings of the study provide some support for both hypotheses. In terms of the translation expertise hypothesis, some of the features of translated language demonstrate significantly different frequencies in the work of experienced translators compared to the work of inexperienced translators. It was found that experienced translators are less explicit in terms of: formal completeness, simplify less frequently because they use a more varied vocabulary, use longer sentences and have a lower readability index score on their translations, and use contractions more frequently, which signals that they normalise less than inexperienced translators. However, experienced translators also use neologisms and loanwords less frequently than inexperienced translators, which is suggestive of normalisation occurring more often in the work of experienced translators when it comes to lexical creativity. These linguistic differences are taken as indicative of the different translation strategies used by the two groups of translators. It is believed that the differences are primarily caused by variations in experienced and inexperienced translators‟ sensitivity to translation norms, their awareness of written language conventions, their language competence (which involves syntactic, morphological and vocabulary knowledge), and their sensitivity to register. Furthermore, it was also found that there are indeed significant differences between translated and non-translated language, which also provides support for the second hypothesis investigated in this study. Translators explicitate more frequently than non-translators in terms of formal completeness, tend to have a less extensive vocabulary, tend to raise the overall formality of their translations, and produce texts that are less creative and more conformist than non-translators‟ texts. However, statistical support is lacking for the hypothesis that translators explicitate more at the propositional level than original text producers do, as well as for the hypothesis that translators are inclined to use a more neutral middle register. / MA (Language Practice), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2013

The use of celebrity endorsers is a popular marketing strategy in many countries. Typically, many marketers believe that using celebrities is a viable marketing strategy for attracting customers, increasing market share and improving sales for their market offerings. The celebrity endorsement strategy using local celebrities is increasing in South Africa. Many South African marketers are now using popular local black celebrities in an attempt to attract the prosperous black emerging middle class, known as Black Diamonds. Black Generation Y students offer great promise to marketers in the South African market as their tertiary education is likely to lead to higher future earning potential and subsequent entry into the already prosperous black emerging middle class segment. Given the increased use of local black celebrities and the market potential of the black Generation Y cohort in South Africa, it is important to investigate whether this marketing strategy may be effective when used in this segment. Celebrity endorsement may work effectively if the correct celebrity is chosen to promote a product but may have costly results if an inappropriate celebrity is chosen. Ohanian (1990) developed a scale to facilitate the selection of celebrity endorsers. The scale is based on the source credibility model that includes the source attractiveness, trustworthiness and expertise model. This study set out to determine whether the black Generation Y students have positive perceptions of local black celebrity endorsers using the celebrity endorsers‟ credibility scale developed by Ohanian (1990). Furthermore, the scale was validated using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling in order to ascertain whether the scale remains applicable when used in the South African context. A non-probability convenience sample of 880 (440 per institution) black students aged between 18 and 24 years was taken in 2012 from the two registered public higher education institutions in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Following a top-of-the-mind-awareness test, four local black celebrities were identified, namely Connie Ferguson, Black Coffee, DJ Sbu and Zahara. In a second top-of-the-mind-awareness test to determine which product types each celebrity is considered to most suitable to endorse, Connie Ferguson was linked to cosmetics, Black Coffee to hot beverages, DJ Sbu to men’s clothing and Zahara to traditional African clothes and jewellery. The relevant primary data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire that had four versions – one per identified celebrity. Lecturers at the two public HEIs were contacted and asked if they would distribute the questionnaires (four versions) to their students to complete during lecture periods. The questionnaires were hand delivered to the relevant lecturers and those completed were immediately collected. The questionnaire requested respondents to indicate on a six-point Likert scale their perceptions of the four selected celebrities‟ attractiveness, trustworthiness and expertise in endorsing their selected product types. In addition, respondents were asked to provide certain demographic data. Findings from the study indicated that black Generation Y students have positive perceptions of the selected local black celebrity endorsers‟ attractiveness, trustworthiness and expertise in endorsing their selected product types. In addition, the results of both the confirmatory factor analysis and the structural equation modelling suggest that the scale developed by Ohanian (1990) to be a valid measure for selecting celebrity endorsers when applied in South Africa. Insights gained from this study will assist both marketing academics and practitioners understand the perceptions of the black Generation Y students towards the use of local black celebrities in product promotions in the South African market. / MCom, Marketing Management, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2013

Successful implementation of new technologies is necessary for survival in today's increasingly competitive banking environment. The banking sector is now the UK's largest investor in new technology. As a result of de-regulation and new technological opportunities, the dominant market position of the traditional banks is under threat from new market entrants. Such organisations are harnessing the latest technology to develop their services, and are not constrained by the costs of running national branch networks and integrating a diverse historical legacy of incompatible computer systems. This thesis addresses the question of why the massive investment by UK retail banks in information technology is not being translated into significant productivity gains. The issue is referred to in the literature as the IT productivity paradox. It will be argued that the importance of the banks to the economy as a whole, and the position of the industry as the UK's largest investor in new technology, make it a particularly suitable arena in which to study this phenomenon. Six empirical case studies of recent new technology projects are analysed by the development of grounded theory. The findings indicate that dysfunctional organisational structures and cultures, together with poor management of expertise, combine to sabotage change and constrain the potential of new technology projects. Most significantly, a lack of organisational learning is contributing to the paradox. Even successful projects had limited impact because the lessons learned were not disseminated throughout the organisation. The study concludes that the full potential offered by information technology will continue to elude the banks until their apparently complacent attitude towards organisational change is addressed.

The eye movements of expert and novice chess players were recorded by electrooculography (EOG) technique as they attempted to find the mate in fifteen tactically active simple chess positions. In the analysis part of the data gathered from EOG recordings, the effect of the drift, which is an important problem for EOG, was reduced. The processed data were converted into coordinates of the display on which the chess positions were demonstrated. In the test phase, the players were asked to fixate the white king which appeared on a different square on an empty chess board for one second. It was predicted on which square the subject fixated by the method developed. The predictions and the actual location of the white king were compared and the results revealed that EOG technique can be used reliably to track the eye movements of the chess players while they fixated on a chess board. It has been revealed that experts produced more fixations on the relevant squares than did the novices as the fixations were investigated. The difference between fixation duration was not significant across skill groups. The results provide evidence for an early perceptual encoding advantage for expert players attributable to chess experience.

User-product interaction is a multi-dimensional, multi-faceted and multi-modal everyday encounter. This study concentrates on the two most prominent actors of this interaction, namely, the user and the product, whereby user expertise and product innovativeness are given special attention. Prominence of user expertise in new product encounters, especially those with innovative products, is established through the findings of two case studies.

The notion of "partnership" dominates contemporary school improvement and educational reform agendas. Most discourse about partnerships between schools and universities historically relates to the apparent divide between practice and theory, between practitioner and academy. This study departs from these traditional perspectives to move beyond the divide between teachers and academics. Designing strategies for re-visioning this historical divide within the education community, between teachers and academics, engages the profession at all levels. Instead of simply re-visioning this divide, however, we can envision a professional place where the divide does not exist. Addressing this divide requires teachers and academics, when they do come together for the purpose of collaborative work of any kind, to actively seek to understand each other's work. This study examines one school and university partnership that was modelled on the principles of a Professional Development School. It investigates the meeting talk between groups of teachers and academics as they plan and report on a collaborative project aimed at improving Mathematics teaching practices in the school. Whereas most research investigating school and university partnerships addresses the outcomes of such partnerships, or attempts to describe and advocate for ideal partnerships, this study considers the actual interactional work of the participants as they engage in the everyday and ongoing activities of partnership. It shows how partnerships are constructed through talk and activity. Instead of considering the partnership as a predetermined and pre-existing phenomenon, this study adopts the view that the work of partnership is an ongoing accomplishment through the activity of the participants. In this way, this study shows the local social order of a partnership as it was built, maintained and transformed through the interactional work of the participants. Both the institutional setting and the participants' enactment of partnership work contribute to the establishment of the social and moral order of the partnership. The principal question addressed in the study asks how participants accomplish the partnership work through their social interactions with one another. It considers the interactional resources that the partners (teachers, interns and academics) use to construct their talk and interactions with one another in the project; and how the partners construct themselves and the other members as members of the partnership, as academics/researchers and as teachers. This study drew on ethnomethodological resources to develop understandings about how the participants accomplish the partnership work through their talk-in-interaction. The specific focus is the talk of partnership that occurred in meetings between members of the school and of the university. These meetings were audio-recorded, transcribed, and finely analysed using the techniques and procedures of conversation analysis and membership category analysis. These methodological resources revealed the social and moral orders at work. Analysis of the meeting talk shows the specific activities and relationships developed by the principal of the school in the accomplishment of the partnership; the ways in which the various participants develop and use their claims to expertise (or lack of it) in doing partnership work; and how participants use the institutional resource of meeting talk to accomplish the partnership work. The study is of significance to educators, teachers and academics. It provides new and rich understandings about how school and university partnerships are accomplished through the participants' meetings. It shows the resources that the participants use to construct and accomplish their different kinds of expertise, to enact the leadership activities required, and to co-construct the various features of partnership. The study offers analytic tools for uncovering the interactional resource of the participants. The ethnomethodological resources, particularly conversation analysis and membership category analysis, can be used to analyse in close detail the social interactions of participants in the institutional talk of meetings. In showing how the social and moral orders of partnerships are revealed and by offering understandings of the pragmatics of school and university partnership, the social structure of school and university partnerships is explicated. The study offers one example of what a school and university partnership can be like. Epistemologically, it explores and exposes the kinds of knowledge produced from this kind of accounting for school and university partnerships. It shows how the work of partnership can be accomplished by participants, rather than attempt to claim how it should be done.