Globalisation, technological advancements and changing social needs result in virtual work arrangements becoming more prominent. Virtual work is conducted away from the traditional office setting and usually occurs in employees’ personal home environments. Virtual work has been called virtualling in this study, and virtual employees are referred to as virtuallers. A phenomenological orientation was adopted in studying completely virtual workers in a completely virtual context; sourcing of participants and data collection were also conducted completely virtually. This study presented new ways of conducting research in the modern, virtual world of work. An autoethnography was included, as the researcher is also a virtualler and insider of virtualling. Four key case studies are presented to provide a holistic picture of virtualling and virtuallers. Thematic results indicate key influencing factors that originate from virtualling, as well as factors and mindset requirements that pertain to the virtualler personally. It was further found and proposed that the resulting virtual environment changes virtuallers’ ways of doing things and viewing the world, hence results in changes in their lifestyle and career identity. The abstract psychological structure as it resulted from the thread of meanings was presented as virtualness. Authentic psychological identification with virtualling and adopting a boundarylessness employability mindset oriented towards psychological success are highlighted as key requirements in order to experience virtualness. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / MCOM (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

University education is ideally expected to significantly expand higher education capabilities among students. Yet, if left unchecked, university education processes can under-equip students in terms of higher education capabilities. In the last one and a half decades, public university education in Uganda has been rapidly growing in terms of student enrolment and course completion. However, the higher education capability levels among students and consequently new graduates (2001-2010) have apparently been declining, especially in terms of practical reason, sociality and participation, learning dispositions, and science and technology. The current study analyses why the new graduates of public universities in Uganda are seemingly deficient in higher education capabilities. Data for analysis were mainly collected from 221 stakeholders of two public universities, namely Makerere University and Mbarara University. The analysis focused on respondents’ perceptions of the three sub-variables of university education, namely curriculum content, teaching processes, and learning processes. Through regression analysis, it was established that these sub-variables jointly predict higher education capability expansion among students in Uganda by 81.2%. Meanwhile, results from qualitative analyses suggest that the curriculum content of public university education is at an acceptable standard and, therefore, a minor cause of higher education capability deficiency among students. However, the teaching processes are perceived as ineffective since lecturers mainly use non-participatory approaches, teach fewer sessions than timetabled, and engage ‘liberal’ quality assurance measures that are open to abuse. Moreover, the learning approaches of some students seem to be surface in nature and the students’ levels of research learning and practice are low. Hence, the study conclusions suggest that low levels of higher education capabilities among students or new graduates in Uganda are largely due to ineffective teaching and learning processes at the two public universities studied. Consequently, the study recommends that, in a bid to enhance higher education capability expansion among students, public universities should focus on improving teaching processes and learning processes, particularly on staff pedagogical skills, commitment, quality controls, and reducing the number of students enrolled in most university courses. / Development Studies / D. Litt et Phil. (Development Studies)

Syftet med avhandlingen är att beskriva akademikers bana mot att bli professionella då de kommer ut i arbetslivet med en magisterexamen i psykologi eller statsvetenskap. The study has a longitudinal design where Political Science and Psychology graduates’ have been interviewed on three consecutive occasions; the last semester before graduation, the first year and then, in the third year of professional work. The theoretical frame of reference comprises a situated and social learning theory and a gender perspective. These theories were chosen since they elaborate on concepts such as identity, practice, participation and learning. The results indicate that becoming a professional is not an isolated phenomenon merely learned and nurtured in higher education and/or in working life. It is emphasised as a dynamic learning process between a reflective individual, the interaction with a professional practice as well as a relationship between other spheres of life, e.g. the personal and the private. The graduates’ professional trajectories can be characterised by a movement from appropriating new knowledge to a need to change direction, e.g. new work tasks or professional fields. This is also a process of professional identity formation. The graduates’ professional identity is emphasised as being both closely related to a gender identity and influenced by the individuals’ belonging to and participation in other practices. The results thus indicate that professional identity formation is an interplay between different spheres of life that changes over time. By using a longitudinal design, it can be claimed that becoming a professional requires balancing one’s whole life situation. / Syftet med avhandlingen är att beskriva akademikers bana mot att bli professionella då de kommer ut i arbetslivet med en magisterexamen i psykologi eller statsvetenskap. Avhandlingen baserar sig på en longitudinell studie där statsvetare och psykologer har blivit intervjuade vid tre olika tillfällen; sista terminen innan examen samt efter första och tredje året i arbetslivet. Den teoretiska referensramen utgörs av begrepp från situerat och social lärteori samt från ett genusperspektiv. Dessa teorier valdes då de fokuserar på begreppen identitet, praktik, deltagande och lärande.Resultaten visar att utvecklingen mot att bli professionell inte är ett isolerat fenomen förvärvat och underhållet i högre utbildning och/eller arbetslivet. Det uttrycks snarare som en dynamisk lärprocess mellan en reflekterande individ, interaktion med en professionell praktik samt med olika sfärer i livet, den professionella, den personliga och den privata. Akademikernas professionella bana kan karakteriseras som en rörelse mellan att utveckla ny kunskap och göra den till sin, till ett behov av förändring i form av nya arbetsuppgifter eller byte av professionellt fält. Att bli professionell innebär även en utveckling av en professionell identitet. Statsvetarnas och psykologernas professionella identitet skapas i relation till en genusidentitet och är influerad av individernas tillhörighet och medverkan i olika praktiker. Resultatet visar därför utveckling av professionell identitet som ett samspel mellan olika sfärer i livet som är föränderligt över tid. Utifrån den utförda longitudinella studien är det möjligt att hävda att utvecklingen mot att bli professionell är ett sätt att skapa ett samspel och balans i individens livssituation.

The teaching project HIS (Holistic International STEMs – Learning with case studies and real life industry experiences) is presented as part of the poster session. Experience shows that German (outgoing) and international (incoming) students have difficulties to communicate properly at the workplace in Germany as well as abroad due to language differences, especially in STEM terms. In addition, young professionals often do not have experience in working in international or virtual teams. All those challenges are current job requirements, not just in global companies. But: How to teach this in higher education? The classical formats of lectures or seminars are not suitable. Therefore, there is a need to develop and prove new teaching formats, within the curriculum as well as extracurricular. With focus on STEM subjects the presented project combines three current impacts on higher education: Internationalization, digitalization, and labor market orientation. The concept of the project is that STEM students from different countries will attend an international, virtual summer school (April to June 2016). They solve real-life job case studies together in small interdisciplinary teams. The participants are mentored by national and international industry partners and STEM professors. With such, the participants will improve language and communication skills, and apply and exchange their expertise as well as gain intercultural work experience. The concept was awarded by the “Stifterverband für die deutsche Wissenschaft” (Donors association for the promotion of humanities and sciences in Germany). The poster introduces the project and exemplary the three-dimensional assignments of one case study (occupational, lingual, and intercultural). At present, the project should be handled as a “project in progress”. Keywords: technology, teaching projects, STEM, internationalization, digitalization, labor market orientation, employability, job orientation, competencies, development of new curricula

Cette recherche se propose d’étudier, d’un point de vue de la problématique et de la méthodologie relative à l’ergonomie humain-machine, la manière dont les e-portfolios de présentation peuvent s’insérer dans le milieu universitaire. Un e-portfolio est généralement défini comme étant une collection d’informations qui illustre la scolarité, l’apprentissage ou la vie professionnelle d’une personne à travers une sélection de résultats marquants au cours de formations ou d’études, mais aussi qui regroupe les réflexions personnelles de l’apprenant sur son apprentissage, son parcours, la planification d’une carrière ou la construction d’un CV. Tout au long de cette étude nous avons chercher à comprendre à travers une analyse ciblée des besoins comment l’apprenant peut mettre en avant une démarche réflexive tout au long de son parcours. Il s’agit aussi de comprendre comment les e-portfolios de présentation pourraient se démarquer et offrir un véritable outil de placement aux étudiants comme aux recruteurs. Pour tenter de répondre à ces questions, nous avons procédé à des entretiens avec les recruteurs et les étudiants en vue de comprendre leurs attentes. L’ensemble des informations recueillies on permis de créer une maquette fonctionnelle sur laquelle ils ont pu interagir. Les éléments d’analyse issus de ces rencontres et des tests d’utilisabilité de l’outil nous ont permis de mettre sur pied une maquette finale. / Based on the human-machine ergonomics methodology, this study deals with how e-portfolios of presentation could be implemented in the University. An e-portfolio can be defined as a structured amount of information displaying the education, learning and working experience of a person in relation to a selection of outstanding results. It also includes personal reflections on the learner on those accomplishments, on his career plan, on his working experience or simply on his resume. With a focused needs’ analysis, we try to understand how learners could put forward a reflexive thinking throughout their career. Also, we try to figure out how e-portfolios could become an effective investment tool for students as well as for employers. To answer these questions, we have made many interviews with employers and students in order to assess and understand their expectations. The sum of collected information has helped us to design a primary model on which they will be able to interact each other. After that phase, and according to all the usability tests conducted on that model, we developed the final model for an e-portfolio.

La presente tesi, attraverso l’utilizzo di diverse fonti di dati, sia longitudinali che trasversali, contribuisce alla letteratura esistente in materia di lavoro precario, invecchiamento e discriminazione di genere, fornendo evidenza empirica riguardo le conseguenze in termini di salute e benessere della precarietà, del pensionamento e della leadership femminile nel mercato del lavoro. Il primo capitolo esamina la relazione esistente fra insicurezza sul lavoro, prospettive di reimpiego e disagio psicologico, utilizzando dati cross-country provenienti dalle European Working Conditions Surveys del 2010. Il secondo capitolo è dedicato alla stima dell’effetto causale del pensionamento sull’utilizzo dei servizi sanitari in 10 paesi Europei nel periodo 2004-2013. In particolare, il capitolo approfondisce il tema della riduzione del costo opportunità del tempo libero dopo il pensionamento, che può dare luogo ad aumenti improvvisi nell’utilizzo dei servizi sanitari. Il terzo capitolo, infine, studia la relazione esistente tra leadership femminile, pratiche organizzative a livello aziendale e discriminazione di genere per 30 paesi Europei, considerati nel periodo 1995-2010. / The present dissertation, using both longitudinal and cross-sectional data from different sources, contributes to existing literature on precarious employment, aging and gender discrimination providing empirical evidence on the health and wellbeing outcomes of work-related insecurity, retirement and female leadership across European countries. Chapter 1 examines the relationship among perceived job insecurity, employability and psychological distress in Europe, using cross-country data from the 2010 European Working Conditions Surveys. Chapter 2, using SHARE data (from 2004 to 2013) for 10 European countries, is devoted to the analysis of the (causal) effect of retirement on health care utilization. In particular, it explores the existence of a discontinuous change in health investment at the time of retirement, as suggested by the theory, asking whether this ``puzzling'' jump is associated with the drop in the opportunity cost of time induced by retirement. Chapter 3 investigates the association between female leadership, work organization practices and perceived gender discrimination within firms, using EWCS data for 30 European countries for the period 1995-2010.

This diploma thesis focused on the situation of Social pedagogy graduates in the labor market. It has a theoretical-empirical character. The theoretical part focus on Social pedagogy as a science and its contemporary position within the Czech legislation. Further it lists study possibilities of Social pedagogy in the Czech Republic, defines the possible scope of social educators and deals with the topic of graduates' adaptation to the labor market in general. The empirical part is devoted to research with seven respondents. The method used in this thesis is in-depth interviews. The research identifies challenges the graduates were facing while finding a job and while performing their profession, what made the adaptation proces easier and vice versa more difficult. The research showed that despite no legal definition of social pedagogy as a profession, graduates had no problems to find a job. However, the perceived difficulty for them, for example, was an inaccurate idea of using the gained experience. Respondents also made recommendations to current social pedagogy students. Most often mentioned was a recommendation to find own specialization in the social pedagogy while still studying.

Thesis (MTech (Public Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019. / A socio-economic problem presently facing South Africa is the rate of youth unemployment, which is among the highest in the world. The South African Government has been involved in a number of initiatives, together with the advancement of a labour-intensive Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) in order to reduce unemployment and poverty. The EPWP was initiated in 2004 with the aim to place the jobless into productive work in the public sector social services where these EPWP beneficiaries are provided with relevant training and transfer of appropriate skills. However, the EPWP only creates temporary work opportunities that have limited influence on the lives of the beneficiaries. The main objective of the study was to examine the performance of the Youth Work Project (YWP) as an EPWP in a selected department of the Western Cape Provincial Government in order to determine its sustainability of job creation. The secondary aims of the study were to explain the process of the YWP as implemented through the EPWP by a selected department of the Western Cape Provincial Government. A third objective was to examine whether the Public Works employment opportunities enhance subsequent employability of participants once they exit this programme. Fourthly, recommendations was forwarded as to how best the EPWP can be used as a tool for helping unemployed youth with a permanent work opportunity. The sample frame computed of thirteen (13) individuals, therefore purposive sampling was considered the most suitable technique to use in this study. The semistructured interviews were conducted with five (5) management officials responsible for the EPWP and unstructured questionnaires were administered to eight (8) available EPWP beneficiaries placed at a selected department of the Western Cape Provincial Government.

Submitted by admin tede (tede@pucgoias.edu.br) on 2017-06-29T13:12:29Z No. of bitstreams: 1 GEORTHON SILVA AMORIM.pdf: 1250997 bytes, checksum: 2f4bf03439dff8f97c87967c63015499 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-29T13:12:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 GEORTHON SILVA AMORIM.pdf: 1250997 bytes, checksum: 2f4bf03439dff8f97c87967c63015499 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-04-26 / Throughout the whole cultural process, as new human being tendencies and needs emerge, changes and transformations occur. This context of changes brings fresh thoughts about all studies and their development. Therefore, when studying the body as a physical and cultural performance representation, as well as the body as a balance between what is inside and outside its own materiality, it seems important to understand the action of the Physical Education professional and anticipate the professional expansion that encompasses this science and the need to study such transformations in a historical process. This research shows us that what influences the relationship between individuals and Physical Activity is the promotion of a culture, not only of awareness, but of effective practice, with the use of all possible Physical Education intervention tools upon the society. We have observed the need to offer an adequate qualification to the Physical Education professionals to enable them to act in the formation of these individuals, providing them with a contemporary view of social, economical and cultural aspects of our society, as well as the principle of interdisciplinary and continuous training, allowing them to understand the complexity of our profession. In this emerging scenario, more and more "quick" and incisive words become more valuable than others which express positive values, recognized and associated with good and attractive things for a wide range of the population. That is why, for example, words such as "well-being", "health", "physical activity", "longevity", "physical fitness", "ability to work" and "employability" have become part of our lives. We can also emphasize the lack of knowledge towards the concept of physical performance and its functional applicability among Physical Education professionals, exploring the history of the body associated to the discussion of cultural performance and well-being. We have propose for this study, aligning within the time and the historical process of evolution of the society, to compile the records of the presence of physical activity practices, listing its tendencies and needs. As we expand the study of the concepts that refer to the relationship between physical fitness and health as a world priority, we create this new cultural paradigm that we must offer to society a cultural idea that physical performance is tied to the human archetype in Contemporary society, providing a chance to improve health, work capacity, wellbeing and cultural aspects. The definition of culture as the human set of material or immaterial achievements leads us to characterize it as a basic foundation of History. And it is through cultural heritage that individuals can communicate with each other, not only through language, but also through forms of behavior and cultural performances, here represented by the study of Contemporary Physical Performances. / Em todo o processo cultural, de acordo com o surgimento de novas tendências e necessidades do ser humano, ocorrem mudanças e transformações. Este contexto de mudanças traz reflexões sobre os estudos e seu desenvolvimento. Assim ao estudar o corpo como representação de performance física e cultural, bem como o próprio corpo como um equilíbrio entre o que está dentro e fora de sua materialidade, parece-nos importante para compreender a ação do profissional de Educação Física e antever a expansão profissional que abrange está ciência, com a necessidade de se estudar tais transformações em um processo histórico. Desta forma, observamos com esta pesquisa que o fator que interfere na relação dos indivíduos com a atividade física é a promoção de uma cultura não só de conscientização, mas de formação com prática efetiva e utilização de todas as ferramentas possíveis de intervenção da Educação Física junto à sociedade. Observamos a necessidade de oferecer uma qualificação profissional adequada ao professor de Educação Física para atuar na formação destes indivíduos, proporcionando a ele uma visão contemporânea dos fatores sociais, econômicos e culturais de nossa sociedade, bem como o princípio da interdisciplinidade e da formação contínua, compreendendo a complexidade que envolve nossa profissão. Neste cenário emergente, se adquire cada vez mais valor as palavras mais “rápidas” e incisivas do que as outras que expressam valores positivos, reconhecidos e associados a coisas boas e atraentes para uma ampla faixa da população. E esta é a razão que, por exemplo, palavras como “bem-estar”, “saúde”, “atividade física”, “longevidade”, “aptidão física”, “capacidade para o trabalho” e “empregabilidade” se tornaram parte de nossas vidas. Pode-se também ressaltar a inexistência do conhecimento do conceito de performance física e sua aplicabilidade funcional junto aos profissionais de Educação Física, explorando a temática da história do corpo associando à discussão de performance cultural e bem-estar. Propomos para este estudo, alinhando dentro do tempo e do processo histórico de evolução da sociedade, compilar os registros da presença da prática das atividades físicas relacionando suas tendências e necessidades. Ao aprofundarmos os estudos dos conceitos que se referem à relação entre aptidão física e saúde como uma prioridade mundial, é que formatamos este novo paradigma cultural onde concluímos que para tal devemos oferecer à sociedade uma cultura em que a performance física estará atrelada ao arquétipo humano na sociedade contemporânea, propiciando assim, uma chance de melhorar a saúde, a capacidade para o trabalho, o bem-estar e a cultura de um povo. A definição de cultura como o conjunto de realizações humanas, materiais ou imateriais leva-nos a caracterizá-la como um fundamento básico da História. E é por meio da herança cultural que os indivíduos podem se comunicar uns com os outros, não apenas por meio da linguagem, mas também por formas de comportamento e suas performances culturais aqui representadas pelo estudo das Performances Físicas no Contemporâneo.

My dissertation focuses on the heterogeneity in labor markets. The first chapter proposes an explanation for the unemployment rate difference between skill groups. Low skill workers (workers without a four year college degree) have a higher unemployment rate. The reason for that "... is mainly because they (low skill workers) are more likely to become unemployed, not because they remain unemployed longer, once unemployed" (Layard, Nickell, Jackman, 1991, p. 44). This chapter proposes an explanation for the difference in job separation probabilities between these skill groups: high skill workers have lower job separation probabilities as they are selected more effectively during the hiring process. I use a labor search model with match specific quality to quantify the explanatory power of this hypothesis on differences in job separation probabilities and unemployment rates across skill groups. The second chapter analyzes the effects of one channel of interaction (job competition) between skill groups on their labor market outcomes. Do skilled workers prefer unskilled jobs to being unemployed? If so, skilled workers compete with unskilled workers for those jobs. Job competition generates interaction between the labor market outcomes of these groups. I use a heterogeneous agents model with skilled and unskilled workers in which the only interaction across groups is the job competition. Direct effects of job competition are reducing skilled unemployment rate (since they have a bigger market) and increasing the unskilled unemployment rate (since they face greater competition). However number of vacancies respond to job competition in equilibrium. For instance, unskilled firms have incentives to open more vacancies since filling a vacancy is easier if there is job competition. Thus how unskilled unemployment and wages are affected by job competition depends on which effect dominates. The results for reasonable parameter values show that job competition does reduce the average unemployment rate. It reduces the skilled unemployment rate more, generating an increase in unemployment rate inequality. However, the employment rate at skilled jobs is unaffected. The third chapter focuses on skill biased technological change. Skill biased technological change is one of the explanations for the asymmetry between labor market outcomes of skill groups over the last few decades. However, during this time period there were also skill neutral shocks that could contribute to these outcomes. The third chapter analyzes the effects of skill biased and neutral shocks on overall labor market variables. I use a model in which skilled and unskilled outputs are intermediate goods, and final good sector receives all the shocks. A numerical exercise shows that both skilled and unskilled unemployment rates respond to shocks in the same direction. The response of unemployment rate to skill neutral shocks is bigger than the response to skill biased shocks for both skill groups. However, the unskilled unemployment changes more than the skilled unemployment rate as a response to skill neutral shocks. Thus, skill neutral shocks reduce the unemployment rate gap between skill groups. / text