<p>    </p> <p>Dysmenorrhea is the most common pain condition in reproductive-aged women and is characterized by pain during menstruation. Dysmenorrhea has far-reaching effects, such as increased psychological distress, increased relationship problems, reduced physical activity, and decreased sleep efficiency. It is the leading cause of absenteeism in this population. Though dysmenorrhea impacts many women and has such far-reaching effects, it has not been studied as extensively as other pain conditions, specifically regarding trait expectations and specific expectations. In other pain conditions, hope and optimism, the two most studied trait expectations, are protective factors for pain severity, interference, and the psychological effects of pain. Trait expectations additionally predict specific expectations, with hope predicting specific expectations related to the self, and optimism predicting specific expectations related to experiences. Both self- and experience-expectations predict outcomes, such as pain severity and pain tolerance. The current study sought to 1) examine the factor structure of specific expectations for dysmenorrhea; 2) examine the roles of trait and specific expectations in predicting dysmenorrhea; and 3) examine the roles of trait expectations and dysmenorrhea in predicting psychological adjustment. A longitudinal study of 389 menstruating women, over the age of 18, who could read and write English was conducted through CloudResearch. Confirmatory factor analysis and mixed latent- and measured-variable path analysis were used. Results indicated two distinct factors of specific expectations, pain-expectation and self- expectation. Hope predicted self-expectation, which predicted dysmenorrhea interference. Pain- expectation predicted dysmenorrhea severity and interference. Additionally, both hope and optimism predicted psychological adjustment. Dysmenorrhea interference predicted psychological distress. However, trait expectations did not predict dysmenorrhea. This study is the first to examine the associations among trait expectations, specific expectations, and dysmenorrhea and expands on the differences between dysmenorrhea and other pain conditions. </p>

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[pt] A relação entre preços de ativos, expectativa de política monetária, e liberação de dados macroeconômicos tem sido avaliada pela literatura há bastante tempo. Essa dissertação estuda as implicações da ancoragem das expectativas de longo prazo de inflação, como instrumento de política monetária, para a estrutura a termo das taxas de juros. Particularmente, este trabalho objetiva entender como esse mecanismo se conecta ao padrão de variabilidade temporal de ambas a volatilidade dos retornos nominais e a sensibilidade dos mesmos a novidades macroeconômicas. Tendo isso em vista, um modelo Novo-Keynesiano com duas principais características é apresentado. Primeiro, os agentes possuem crenças subjetivas ao invés de expectativas racionais. Eles aprendem sobre o target de inflação definido pelo banco central e suas expectativas podem se tornar ancoradas ou desancoradas, dado o estado da economia. Segundo, a aversão ao risco dos consumidores varia ao longo do tempo. O modelo possui uma principal predição: a sensibilidade da estrutura a termo da taxa de juros com relação a supresas de inflação não apenas varia no tempo, mas depende do estado da economia. / [en] The relation between asset prices, monetary policy expectations, and macroeconomic data releases has long been assessed by the literature. This dissertation addresses the implications of the anchoring or unanchoring of long-run inflation expectations, as a stance of monetary policy, to the term structure of bond yields. In particular, it aims to understand how this mechanism is connected to the time-varying pattern of both the volatility of nominal yields and their sensitivity to macroeconomic surprises. To that matter, we present a New-Keynesian model with two main characteristics. First, agents have subjective beliefs instead of rational expectations. They learn about the inflation target set by the central bank and their expectations may become anchored or unanchored over time, given the state of the economy. Second, agents face time-varying risk aversion. The model has one main prediction: the sensitivity of the term structure to inflation surprises is not only time-varying, but state-dependent.

Over the years, there has been a lot of discussion about the audit expectations gap. Research on the expectations gap has focused exclusively on the audit aspect, with limited attention being given to the possibility of the existence of other elements that may in fact contribute to an even wider expectations gap. This study has focused on the financial statements expectations gap. Financial statements are the public face of an organisation. It is therefore crucial that users understand their objective, message, scope and limitations. This study explores and evaluates the existence of a financial statements expectations gap in a small state economy, namely Malta. The data for this study was collected from shareholders and auditors in Malta using a mixed methods approach with a sequential explanatory design through the use of a survey questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The findings have shown that the financial statements expectations gap exists in various areas, some of which are fundamental to the understanding of financial statements. There is a clear lack of clarity, or confusion, about the objective of financial statements. This appears to be the result of the over-emphasis on decision-usefulness as an objective of financial statements, the imprecision of the word stewardship and the failure to communicate clearly the scope and limitations of financial statements. The study has shown that the attempts by standard setters to satisfy various user needs with the same set of financial statements were unsuccessful in Malta. Communicating financial information has been identified as the primary purpose of financial statements. However, the understandability of financial statements was negatively impacted primarily by the complexity of information, the frequent changes to standards, information overload and the use of technical jargon. The study has accordingly identified those factors that are considered to be conducive to the understandability of financial statements in Malta. Based on the research findings, the study has provided recommendations to the accountancy profession and policy makers on how to address the financial statements expectations gap. Potential areas for future research were also identified.

Published Article / The contribution of tourism to the development of local regions is prolific, as it creates jobs and stimulates the economy (Lopez-Bonilla & Sanz-Altmira 2010; O'Sullivan & Jackson 2010; Saayman & Rossow 2011; Visser 2005). Events are an important motivation for tourists to travel. In this sense, there are three types of events: business events, sport events and festivals (Getz 2007). Festivals and festival tourism is a booming form of event tourism and the importance of festivals are recognized in both national and international spheres (Yang, Gu & Cen 2011). With this in mind, it is imperative that festival organisers have adequate information pertaining to the demographics and service delivery expectations of festival goers. The data for this investigation was collected during the 2013 Bloemfontien Vryfees and the findings report on the demographic composition of the festival goers and their service delivery expectations.

Published Article / The relationship between the postgraduate supervisor and postgraduate student is commonly described in the literature because of the interesting and sometimes even complex dynamics involved in this process. However, the literature is not always very explicit about the specific expectations of those involved. The findings of a qualitative case study, completed at an American research intensive university (Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA) are communicated in the article. Despite the complexity of the research supervision process, the expectations associated with the supervision process remains a unique experience of collaborative learning. A commitment is required from each of the role players to communicate expectations initially and continuously. Furthermore it was noted that an environment should be created for students in which they are respected as colleagues.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates and describes palliative care patients’ expectations of their homebased caregivers. This paper attempts to expand on the findings of a previous study by Armenis (2006b) that reported a need to determine the occupational responsibilities of home-based caregivers within the Stellenbosch Hospice organization. Three palliative care patients were interviewed individually in unstructured interviews whereby expectations were discussed and recorded. Respondents were from the rural town of Klapmuts which is located within the broader Stellenbosch area. Responses were analyzed by means of the phenomenological methodology approach developed by Giorgi (1997). The findings indicate that patients expect physical and psychosocial care which can be divided into six sub-themes: i) hygiene; ii) feeding; iii) physical assistance; iv) communicate care; v) support; vi) need for community. This study revealed in excess of forty caring activities that study participants expect from their home-based caregivers that may be utilized as future focus areas of home-based caregiver training initiatives. Recommendations for future research include the enquiry into the role of patient relatives’ and members of the community, as essential components of the unit of care. In addition, further investigation is required to determine the specific psychosocial needs of palliative patients, their relatives, and communities located in the outlying regions of South Africa. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie doen ondersoek na en beskryf pasiënte wat palliatief (sorg van pasiënte met ongeneeslike siektes) versorg word se rolverwagtinge van hul gemeenskapsgebaseerde oppassers. Hierdie werkstuk brei uit op ‘n voorafgaande studie deur Armenis (2006b) wat ‘n behoefte geraporteer het dat duidelike beroepspesifikasies vir gemeenskapsgebaseerde oppassers wat in diens van die Stellenbosch Hospice is, bepaal behoort te word. Drie ongestruktureerde onderhoude is gevoer met pasiënte wat palliatief versorg word. Pasiënte se verwagtinge is bespreek en op ‘n oudioband vasgelê. Deelnemers aan die studie is van die dorp Klapmuts wat binne die Stellenboschdistrik geleë is. Antwoorde is geanaliseer deur die gebruikmaking van die fenomenologiese metode soos deur Giorgi ontwikkel (1997). Die bevindings toon aan dat pasiënte ‘n dringende behoefte het aan fisieke en psigo-sosiale sorg. Laasgenoemde kan in ses sub-temas verdeel word: i) higiëne ii) voeding iii) fisiese bystand iv) die komunikasie van sorg v) ondersteuning vi) behoefte aan gemeenskapsbetrokkendheid. Hierdie studie het meer as veertig aktiwiteite vasgestel wat palliatiewe pasiënte van hul gemeenskapsgebaseerde oppassers verwag. Die vasgestelde aktiwiteite mag bydra tot die bevordering van toekomstige navorsing en die opleiding van gemeenskapsgebaseerde oppassers. Hierdie studie het ‘n dringende behoefte vir die opleiding van gemeenskapsgebaseerde oppassers, wat in die Stellenboschdistrik werksaam is geïdentifiseer. Daar is ‘n behoefte aan studies wat die rol van gesinslede en die gemeenskap se verantwoordelikhede uiteensit met betrekking tot die uitvoer van palliatiewe sorg. Die behoefte aan navorsing om die spesifieke psigososiale nood van palliatiewe pasiënte, hulle gesinne, en betrokke gemeenskappe wat in die landelike dele van Suid Afrika gelëe is, vas te stel.

In this study we examined co-workers experiences of having a previous colleague as their leader, which is relatively common. We made qualitative interviews with six social welfare administrators who had been through this situation at work. The questions had been concentrated at how they were affected by the previous relationship, what expectations they had, and their view of how the business had been handled by their leader. The result of these interviews has then been connected to two leadership theories. The conclusion of the study was that the experience of the situation differs. One negative experience that emerged was that the leader had a hard time letting go of the roll as a colleague, which in turn made a few co-workers feel bad about how some co-workers were favoured and others not. Some of the commented expectations were to receive a more specific job-competent leader from outside, a leader who could raise and advance the activity at work, along with expectations of treating all co-workers equally. An opinion that the leader was always looking for consensus has emerged which wasn't always perceived positive, another wish was that the leader also has to be able to make own decisions. Everyone experienced a great involvement in the activities and the leadership was also experienced to have been democratic.

This study investigates the gender differences in final year undergraduates’ employment expectations, broken down by salary expectations, occupational expectations and working region expectations, in a university in Central China. It firstly examines whether or not there are gender differences in these employment expectations. It then identifies factors that have actually contributed to the gender differences in employment expectations. The study employs the conceptual framework of ‘choice and constraint’, which means that male and female final year undergraduates are able to make their own choices towards employment expectations; however, their choices are limited by a number of constraints. It adopts a mixed methods sequential explanatory design, using an on-site self-administration questionnaire survey and a follow-up semi-structured interview. The results showed that, overall, male final year undergraduates had higher salary expectations than their female counterparts. In terms of occupational expectations, both males and females preferred jobs in the ‘Education’ and ‘Party Agencies and Social Organizations’ occupations. However, male final year undergraduates were more inclined to expect to work in the ‘Party Agencies and Social Organizations’ occupation and less likely than their female peers to expect to work in the ‘Education’ occupation. With respect to working region expectations, males and females behaved differently. Males tended to put the highly developed area of East China first; whilst females seemed to prefer to stay in Central China. There was also a higher likelihood of females expecting to work near their places of origin than their male peers. Further explorations revealed that firstly, the economic roles being played in the family between the genders and the experienced or perceived sex discrimination in China’s labour market appeared to account for these gender differences in salary expectations. Secondly, gendered job preferences might be related to the gender differences in occupational expectations. That is, males were inclined to highlight pay, job reputation, promotion and even power; whereas females were more concerned with work-life balance, job stability and working environment. Finally, it seemed that parents’ expectations and the gendered orientations (males highlighting work-related issues and females underlining family ties) played a main role in shaping the gender differences in working region expectations.

Background: It has become easy for tourists to visit different countries and cities for vacation due to the globalized world one live in today. Because of the consumers desire to travel and the tough competition among cities, emphasis have been put on city branding with the aim of making a consumer chose a specific city to visit instead of competing ones. In order to create a strong city brand it is important to look at the tourists’ expectations of a city, to get an understanding of what is expected from the consumer and what a city brand should work on in order to get satisfied visitors. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explain what attributes of a city brand that impact the overall expectation of a potential consumer. Methodology: This is a quantitative study analyzing the 313 answers of conducted questionnaire. The authors have used both a simple and a multiple linear regression to test seven different hypotheses. Conclusion: This research shows that there are six attributes that has a positive impact, these six can explain 77,7% of the overall expectations towards a city brand of a consumer. These attributes are; infrastructure, attraction, uniqueness, expected enjoyment, value for money and word-of-mouth. Expected enjoyment and value for money were the most important attributes when people decide on a trip. Key Words: City branding, destination branding, place branding, expectations, tourism.