<p>This study investigates the most important reasons behind the rst-year students' decision to select University of the Western Cape (UWC) as higher education institution.<br /> These reasons were organized into a few factors for easy interpretation. The data to be analyzed for this project is a subsection of the data collected during the orientation period of 2008. During the orientation week of 2008, the questionnaires were completed on a voluntary basis by new rst-year students. All questionnaires were anonymously completed and therefore the data does not contain any information that could be linked to any individual. For the purpose of this study, only the black African and coloured students were considered. The other racial groups were not analyzed due to too small sample sizes. Questionnaires with missing information on the reasons for selecting UWC were not&nbsp / nalyzed. We ended up with a sample of size 600. The data were statistically analyzed, using descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses, factor analysis, coefficient of congruence and bootstrap factor analysis. The results indicated that the most important reasons aecting students to choose UWC were identied as good academic reputation, family member's advice, UWC graduates are successful and UWC graduates get good jobs. The least important reasons were found to be not accepted anywhere, parents / family members graduated from UWC, recruited by UWC and wanted to study near to home. The results also indicated that there were significant differences among students according to population groups, parent's monthly income and grade 12 average. Factor analysis of 12 variables yielded three extracted factors upon which student decisions were based. Similarities of these three factors were tested, and a high similarity among demographic characteristics and grade 12 average were found. Additional analyses were conducted to measure the accuracy of factor analyses models constructed using Spearman and Polychoric correlation matrices. The results indicated that both correlation matrices were&nbsp / nbiased, with higher variance and higher loadings when the Polychoric correlation matrix was used to construct a factor analysis model for categorical data.</p>

Magister Scientiae - MSc / This study investigates the most important reasons behind the rst-year students' decision to select University of the Western Cape (UWC) as higher education institution. These reasons were organized into a few factors for easy interpretation. The data to be analyzed for this project is a subsection of the data collected during the orientation period of 2008. During the orientation week of 2008, the questionnaires were completed on a voluntary basis by new rst-year students. All questionnaires were anonymously completed and therefore the data does not contain any information that could be linked to any individual. For the purpose of this study, only the black African and coloured students were considered. The other racial groups were not analyzed due to too small sample sizes. Questionnaires with missing information on the reasons for selecting UWC were not nalyzed. We ended up with a sample of size 600. The data were statistically analyzed, using descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses, factor analysis, coefficient of congruence and bootstrap factor analysis. The results indicated that the most important reasons a ecting students to choose UWC were identi ed as good academic reputation, family member's advice, UWC graduates are successful and UWC graduates get good jobs. The least important reasons were found to be not accepted anywhere, parents / family members graduated from UWC, recruited by UWC and wanted to study near to home. The results also indicated that there were significant differences among students according to population groups, parent's monthly income and grade 12 average. Factor analysis of 12 variables yielded three extracted factors upon which student decisions were based. Similarities of these three factors were tested, and a high similarity among demographic characteristics and grade 12 average were found. Additional analyses were conducted to measure the accuracy of factor analyses models constructed using Spearman and Polychoric correlation matrices. The results indicated that both correlation matrices were&nbsp; nbiased, with higher variance and higher loadings when the Polychoric correlation matrix was used to construct a factor analysis model for categorical data. / South Africa

With the growing popularity of business analytics, companies experience an increasing need of reliable data. Although the availability of behavioural data showing what the consumers do has increased, the access to data showing consumer mentality, what the con- sumers actually think, remain heavily dependent on tracking surveys. This thesis inves- tigates the performance of a Dynamic Factor Model using respondent-level data gathered through repeated cross-sectional surveys. Through Monte Carlo simulations, the model was shown to improve the accuracy of brand tracking estimates by double digit percent- ages, or equivalently reducing the required amount of data by more than a factor 2, while maintaining the same level of accuracy. Furthermore, the study showed clear indications that even greater performance benefits are possible.

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Throughout the scientific literature, researchers have referred to self-respect and self-esteem as being the same construct. However, the present study advocated that they exist as two distinct constructs. In this quantitative study, an instrument was developed to measure self-respect as a construct, and subsequently distinguish that self-respect is distinct from the construct of self-esteem. Exploratory factor analyses (EFA) indicated 32.60% of the variance was accounted for by the 11-item Jefferson Self-Respect instrument (JSR), which measured self-respect as a unidimensional construct. The reliability estimate of the scores from the JSR reached an acceptable α = .82. Fit indices (RMSEA = .031, SRMR = .037, CFI = .982, and TLI = .977) from the confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) signified a well-fitted hypothesized model of self-respect that existed as a unidimensional construct. Additionally, the CFA revealed that the construct of self-respect, and self-esteem was generally distinct, and the strength of the correlation between the two constructs was moderately positive (r = .62).

The overall objective of this study was to determine the factorial invariance of a South African-developed Employee Engagement Instrument (EEI) across different race groups in financial institutions. A secondary objective of this study was to determine whether race groups differ significantly with regard to the six dimensions of the employee engagement instrument. A quantitative, cross-sectional and descriptive research design was followed in this study, using a non-probability, convenience sampling (N = 1175). The EEI was electronically administered to 285 000 businesspeople from various demographic backgrounds, which form part of a research database. The focus was respondents from financial institutions. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was employed to achieve the empirical objectives of this study. Findings from the statistical analysis indicated that White and Black employees differed significantly with regards to how they are engaged by their immediate managers; however, the practical significance was small. Furthermore, the employee engagement instrument was found to be reliable and valid and the instrument was invariant across the four different race groups. By understanding how employees from different backgrounds are engaged it enables organisations to customise their engagement programmes to meet the needs of the various types of employees within the organisation, instead of applying a “one size fits all” approach to engagement programmes. The findings of this study provided valuable insights into the importance of employee engagement in a South African context, especially for financial institutions. Finally, the study adds to the vast body of knowledge that exists with regard to employee engagement and race, both locally and internationally. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

A survey of the field revealed a need for a Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Personal Orientation Inventory (POI). The two major objectives were to understand the concept of selfactualization and the use of the POI as a measuring instrument. The POI correlation coefficients were used as input data for the computer program, Linear Structural Relations (LISREL), to perform a Confirmatory Factor Analysis. A sample of 495 individuals was used in this research. This sample consisted of both male and female second-year Industrial Psychology students from various race groups. The research concluded that the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) indicated a poor fit between the empirical model and the empirical reality. This determined that the POI's factor structure could not confirm the theoretical model of selfactualization. It is acknowledged that more research needs to be conducted, taking due consideration of bias variables and cultural diversity. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial Psychology)

[pt] O objetivo do presente trabalho consistia em traduzir o Questionário de Preocupação do Estado da Pensilvânia (PSWQ) para o português e avaliar as propriedades psicométricas e a estrutura latente desta versão traduzida em uma amostra representativa de universitários no Brasil para determinar sua confiabilidade e validade psicométricas. Um primeiro estudo utilizou 871 graduandos de diferentes Universidades do Rio de Janeiro apresentando uma faixa de idade de 17 a 68 anos. Uma análise fatorial exploratória (AFE) foi realizada para examinar a estrutura latente dos 16 itens que compõem esta escala. Um segundo estudo utilizou 978 graduandos com as mesmas características do estudo 1. Uma análise fatorial confirmatória (AFC) foi usada para inspecionar eventuais artefatos fatoriais da escala, previamente descritos na literatura. Os resultados indicaram que o PSWQ apresentou uma adequada consistência interna. No primeiro estudo, uma AFE indicou uma solução de dois fatores. Um fator foi relacionado com a preocupação presente e incorporou todos os 11 itens escritos na forma afirmativa. O outro foi associado com a preocupação ausente e incorporou todos os 5 itens escritos na forma negativa. No segundo estudo, uma AFC ajustou uma solução de três fatores. Um fator incorporou todos os itens do PSWQ, onde os outros dois fatores foram relacionados com os itens na afirmativa e negativa. Coeficientes de correlação destes dois fatores de itens na afirmativa e negativa com o total do PSWQ e a subescala traço do Inventário de Ansiedade Traço-Estado sugerem que o fator composto pelos 5 itens na negativa não contribui significativamente para a estrutura latente do PSWQ. A avaliação psicométrica da versão em português do PSWQ indicou que esta escala pode medir confiavelmente a presença do construto de preocupação em uma amostra não clínica. Análises de sua estrutura fatorial sugeriram que o fator da preocupação ausente deve ser um artefato metodológico atribuído ao efeito da forma escrita dos itens na negativa. / [en] Translate the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) to Portuguese and evaluate the psychometric properties and the latent structure of the translated version in a large Brazilian college student sample to determine its psychometric reliability and validity. A first study employed 871 undergraduate students from different Universities of Rio de Janeiro ranging from 17 to 68 years of age. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was employed to analyze its latent structure of 16 items that composes the scale. A second study employed 978 college students with the same characteristics from Study 1. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to investigate eventual factorial artifacts of the scale previously described in the literature. Results indicated that PSWQ had an adequate internal consistency. In the first study, the EFA yields a two-factor solution. One factor was related to worry presence and incorporated all the 11 positive-worded items stated in a non-reversed form. The other was associated to worry absence and incorporated all the five negative- worded items stated in a reversed form. In a second study, the CFA leads to a three- factor solution. One factor incorporated all the PSWQ items whereas the two other factors were linked to the reversed and non-reversed items. Correlations coefficients of these two reversed and non-reversed factors with the total scores of the PSWQ and the trait subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory suggest that the factor composed by the five items do not contribute in a meaningful way to the PSWQ latent structure. Psychometric evaluation of the Portuguese version of the PSWQ indicated that the scale can reliably measure the presence of the worry construct in a non-clinical sample. Analysis of its factorial structure suggested that the worry absence factor might be a methodological artifact due to a wording effect of the reversed items.

A survey of the field revealed a need for a Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Personal Orientation Inventory (POI). The two major objectives were to understand the concept of selfactualization and the use of the POI as a measuring instrument. The POI correlation coefficients were used as input data for the computer program, Linear Structural Relations (LISREL), to perform a Confirmatory Factor Analysis. A sample of 495 individuals was used in this research. This sample consisted of both male and female second-year Industrial Psychology students from various race groups. The research concluded that the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) indicated a poor fit between the empirical model and the empirical reality. This determined that the POI's factor structure could not confirm the theoretical model of selfactualization. It is acknowledged that more research needs to be conducted, taking due consideration of bias variables and cultural diversity. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial Psychology)

The main objective of this work is to propose new procedures for the general dynamic factor analysis<p>introduced by Forni et al. (2000). First, we develop an identification method for determining the number of common shocks in the general dynamic factor model. Sufficient conditions for consistency of the criterion are provided for large n (number of series) and T (the series length). We believe that our procedure can shed<p>light on the ongoing debate on the number of factors driving the US or Eurozone economy. Second, we show how the dynamic factor analysis method proposed in Forni et al. (2000), combined with our identification method, allows for identifying and estimating joint and block-specific common factors. This leads to a more<p>sophisticated analysis of the structures of dynamic interrelations within and between the blocks in suchdatasets.<p>Besides the framework of the general dynamic factor model we also propose a consistent lag window spectral density estimator based on multivariate M-estimators by Maronna (1976) when the underlying data are coming from the alpha mixing stationary Gaussian process. / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished