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The study of social withdrawal continues to grow among younger samples, including childhood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood. Little research has addressed socially withdrawn older adults, despite the various losses, declines, and changes experienced by those in later life and their known benefits resulting from social interactions. Shy, avoidant, or unsocial individuals at younger ages may withdraw and possibly miss out on important opportunities; as a result, when they are grown, these same socially withdrawn individuals may experience greater regret and lower fulfillment in later life. Further, socially withdrawn older adults residing in long-term care (LTC) facilities may have more time to reminisce of past regret or fulfillment. Data was collected from 45 older participants (Mage = 83.07) residing in a long-term care facility on O'ahu. The current study used Bayesian linear regression models to examine ways that three subtypes of withdrawal (shyness, avoidance, and unsociability) may relate to regret and fulfillment in later life; with an exploratory qualitative portion assessing withdrawn participant's biggest regrets and accomplishments. Results indicated that higher levels of shyness significantly predicted higher levels of regret, while higher levels of unsociability were related to higher levels of fulfillment. The findings may help us to understand the role of ability to choose in the lives of socially withdrawn individuals, as shy individuals who may withdraw because of fear could be missing out on desired life experiences, while unsocial individuals appear able to participate in their desired activities.

Title: Conditions for executing a q-fulfillment process from the warehouse of a retailer of consumables - Based on a case study at Staples. Context: Changing customer expectations, increasing GDP per capita and urbanization drives the development of quicker e-fulfillment. Research shows that customers are more likely to complete their purchase and buy more often if the retailer has fast delivery options, like same-day delivery. No literature was found describing how warehouse activities of e-commerce retailers should be adjusted to be able to deliver to the customer within an hour.  Purpose: The study aims to fill the identified research gap by establishing conditions for a retailer of consumables to execute a q-fulfillment process from a warehouse. Economic consequences of the established conditions are also aimed to be clarified. Lastly the study explores under which conditions the case company, Staples, can execute a q-fulfillment process in their automated warehouse. Questions at issue:  Under which conditions can an e-commerce retailer of consumables execute a q-fulfillment process in a warehouse?How are a retailer’s costs affected by applying the established conditions for executing a q-fulfillment process?Under which conditions can Staples execute a q-fulfillment process in their automated warehouse?Methodology: The study took an objective ontological approach, and epistemological and axiological assumptions were made. The research philosophy was positivistic, and a deductive approach was taken. The methodological choice was qualitative, and a case study was made together with the case company, Staples. All of these methodological choices esteemed by the authors as best suited for this explorative research. The sample selection was a mixture between a purposive and a convenience sampling, since it fitted the study, and the case company was located close to the authors. The theoretical chapters contain document secondary data, while the empirical chapters contain primary data in terms of one-to-one interviews. The data analysis consists of a circular flowchart and pattern matching to analyze the gathered data. The study achieved reliability since it was not affected by random deviations, and replicability because it was sufficiently detailed. It is valid since it was generalizable and the expected casual relationships among the variables were true. Ethical considerations were kept in mind throughout the entire study and the authors collaborated well.  Results: The authors found 20 conditions for a retailer of consumables to fulfill to be able to execute a q-fulfillment process, and 21 conditions for Staples to fulfill. Many similarities were found between the two research questions and only one condition differed. The authors also found that some of the conditions drive more costs than others and that the retailer by themselves has to decide which conditions are applicable to their individual process.  Keywords: E-commerce, Q-commerce, Quick-commerce, Quick order fulfillment, Q-fulfillment & Inventory management.

Every local church, although part of a greater denomination, finds itself in a unique context with unique ministerial needs. It is of the utmost importance for every local church to be contextual in its ministry, to eventually being effective in its ministry. To make this possible a Scriptural view of the interplay between the unity of the church, the diversity of the church and the fulfilment of the calling of the church, currently not existing, is a key factor. The primary goal of this research is to provide guidelines to churches to assure the contextualization of their calling and ministerial strategy. This is done by motivating the necessity thereof, and by providing Scriptural principles for the interplay between the unity of the church, the diversity of the church and the fulfilment of the calling of the church. The research is done according to the practical-theological methodology of Gerben Heitink (1 999). • The first part of the study consists of a hermeneutical process giving perspective on the current state of affairs in ministerial theory and practice, as well as providing Scriptural principles. Chapter 2 of the hermeneutical investigation wants to determine in what manner the interplay between the unity of the church, the diversity of the church and the fulfilment of the calling of the church is currently being recognized when a local church determines their specific calling and ministerial strategy. Furthermore a brief overview is given regarding the state of affairs in South Africa which has an effect on the climate in which ministry has to take place. This ensures the contextualization of the study. In Chapter 3 Scriptural principles are developed regarding the interplay between the unity of the church, the diversity of the church and the fulfilment of the calling of the church. In Chapter 2 a description is made of the situation that has to change and in Chapter 3 the principles are developed by which the change has to take place. The research in Chapter 3 focuses on the periscope of Acts 21:17-26 and related periscopes. • The second part of the study comprises of an empirical investigation of Afrikaans speaking reformed church members in Eastern Pretoria to determine how they view the interplay between the unity of the church, the diversity of the church and the fulfilment of the calling of the church. • The third part comprises the strategic perspective that integrates the research results of Chapters 2, 3, and 4 to develop a theory of practice. This practical theory provides guidelines to local churches to help them determine their specific calling and ministerial strategy in the light of the interplay between the unity of the church, the diversity of the church and the fulfilment of the calling of the church. The result of this study shows that the interplay between the unity of the church, the diversity of the church and the fulfilment of the calling of the church is a key factor in determining the specific calling and ministerial strategy of a local church to ensure their obedience to Gods calling. Beacons were developed in the light of the Scriptural interplay and presented as guidelines for the local church. The beacons are in short: 1 - Identifying the unique context; 2 - Ascertaining of the current interplay; 3 - Ascertaining of the Scriptural interplay; 4 - Breaking through traditions; 5 - Create balance in the interplay; 6 - Ensure unity in communal interest; 7 – ensure diversity, not in own interest; 8 - Accommodating each other. / Thesis (M.Th. (Practical Theology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006

This study determined the number of self-directed learning projects undertaken by older adults and examined the motivational factors and anticipated benefits related to the learning activities. In addition, obstacles to conducting self-directed learning were identified by the respondents. A list of 20,032 names of adults, aged 50 or more years and residing in Tom Green County, Texas, was obtained from voter registration rolls and the residential rolls of four retirement complexes. Four hundred names were randomly selected to serve as the sample of the study. Of the 400 potential subjects, 120 persons agreed to be interviewed. Indepth interviews were conducted using the questions from Tough's Interview Schedule for Studying Some Basic Characteristics of Learning Projects and a probe sheet to identify obstacles to conducting self-directed learning projects. The interviews focused on the learning activities of older adults during the previous year. The 120 subjects of this study conducted a total of 239 learning projects in the previous year, an average of 1.99 self-directed learning projects per person. Ninety-five (95%) percent of the persons interviewed reported to have conducted at least one learning project in the past year. The majority of the learning projects were self-planned for the purpose of self-enjoyment and self-fulfillment. The most frequent obstacles to conducting self-directed learning projects identified by the subjects included: 1) finding the time for the learning activity; 2) the cost of the learning activity; 3) home responsibilities; 4) difficulty deciding what knowledge or skill to learn; 5) difficulty remembering new material or information; and 6) poor health. Comparisons of the results of this study were made with the results of previous studies by Tough, Hiemstra, and Ralston. The data support the belief that books, pamphlets, and newspapers are the primary source of information for the older adult. The results of this study indicate that older adults value self-directed learning as a major source of self~fulfillment in their lives and are motivated to develop new knowledge and skills through self-planned, self-directed learning projects.

In pursuit of the conversion of others, cross-cultural missionaries often experience their own “conversions.” This thesis explores the ways in which one particular missionary, the Welshman Timothy Richard (1845–1919), was transformed by his encounter with China. Focusing specifically on the evolution of his understanding and practice of Christian mission during the first half of his career with the Baptist Missionary Society, the study is structured chronologically in order to capture the important ways in which Richard’s experiences shaped his adaptations in mission. Each of Richard’s adaptations is examined within its appropriate historical and cultural context through analysis of his published and unpublished writings—all while paying careful attention to Richard’s identity as a Welsh Baptist missionary. This approach reveals that rather than softening his commitment to conversion in response to his encounters with China, Richard was driven by his persistent evangelical convictions to adapt his missionary methods in pursuit of greater results. When his experiences in Shandong and Shanxi provinces convinced him that Christianity fulfilled China’s own religious past and that God’s Kingdom promised blessings for souls in this life as well as in the next, Richard widened his theological horizons to incorporate these ideas without abandoning his essential understanding of the Christian gospel. As Richard adjusted to the realities of mission in the Chinese context, his growing empathy for Chinese people and their culture increasingly shaped his adaptations, ultimately leading him to advocate methods and emphases on the moral evidences for Christianity that were unacceptable to some of his missionary colleagues and to leaders in other missions, notably James Hudson Taylor. As the first critical work of length to focus on the early half of Richard’s missionary career, this thesis fills a gap in current scholarship on Victorian Protestant missions in China, offering a challenge to the simplistic conservative/liberal dichotomies often used to categorize missionaries. The revised picture of Richard that emerges reveals his original understanding of “the worthy” in Matthew 10, his indebtedness to Chinese sectarian religion, his early application of indigenous principles, his integration of evangelism and famine relief work, his relative unimportance in the China Inland Mission “Shanxi spirit” controversies of the 1880s, and—most significantly—his instrumental rather than evangelistic interest in the scholar-officials of China. By highlighting the priority of the Chinese (religious) context for Richard’s transformation, this thesis also contributes to the growing volume of historiography on Christianity in modern China that emphasizes the multidirectional influences present in the encounters between Christianity and Chinese culture and religion. Finally, connections between Richard’s evolution and changes taking place within the larger missionary community are also explored, situating Richard within wider discussions of accommodationism in mission, the rise of social Christianity, and evangelistic precursors to fulfillment theology.

Personality researchers have described dispositional traits to typically show stability over the life course and yet one such trait, shyness, has rarely been examined in later life. Shyness as a global trait has been linked negatively to multiple psychological indices of childhood well-being, including loneliness. Despite the fact that older adults may be already at risk for experiencing heightened loneliness, regret, or decreased fulfillment, research has not assessed these experiences in relation to personality in later life. In recent years, withdrawal research has begun to move past shyness as a global trait to examine the motivations behind socially withdrawn behavior. The current study used regression analyses to examine ways that three facets of withdrawal (shyness, avoidance, and unsociability) may relate to loneliness, regret, and fulfillment in later life. Data from 309 older participants of the Huntsman Senior Games were used to explore associations. Results indicated that shyness, avoidance, and unsociability significantly predicted increased loneliness and regret, and decreased fulfillment to some extent. Further, marital status (married, divorced, widowed) moderated links between withdrawal and psychological indices of later life well-being.

Thesis (M.Th. (Practical Theology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

A basic interpretative research design (Merriam, 2002) was used to investigate the research question, What is the experience of being involved with music while also employed in a professional occupation? This study contributes to the research on meaning and purpose in life and in work. Three professionals, one man and two women, were interviewed using in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Participants were invited to provide a brief personal history and describe areas of life and work that they found challenging as well as rewarding and / or meaningful. Narratives were developed from the participants interviews. <p>Themes that emerged from the data included the participants experiences of meaning and purpose. All three participants identified their salaried employment as providing meaning in their lives. Their experience of music included a transcendent dimension, a sense of connection to others, a higher self, or to God. Factors that may have encouraged or prohibited the participants achievement in work or music included early learning experiences, exposure to role models and mentoring opportunities, financial concerns, socioeconomic status, social support, psychological traits, and self-efficacy beliefs. <p>This study has relevance for individuals seeking meaning and purpose in their own lives. The narratives exemplified the lives of three individuals with the coping skills, resiliencies, and strengths required to thrive personally and professionally and attain a high level of achievement in more than one area. The narratives may also interest individuals interested in pursuing a career in the arts, music in particular. <p> This study is also relevant for parents, teachers, and career counsellors who want to facilitate the development of potential and encourage high achievement in their children, students, and clients. Career counsellors might benefit from a greater understanding of the aspects of life and work that affect the individuals experiences and ability to pursue a high level of achievement. Early recognition of talent, followed by parental support and discipline as well as professional recognition would be a good start. Encouragement in the form of acknowledgement and financial assistance would continue to develop the individuals ability. However, external resources would not be sufficient without the internal resources, such as responsibility, courage, optimism, hope, perseverance, autonomy, and self-acceptance. Further study could research the application of positive psychology to enhance the development of talent and/or achievement.

A basic interpretative research design (Merriam, 2002) was used to investigate the research question, What is the experience of being involved with music while also employed in a professional occupation? This study contributes to the research on meaning and purpose in life and in work. Three professionals, one man and two women, were interviewed using in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Participants were invited to provide a brief personal history and describe areas of life and work that they found challenging as well as rewarding and / or meaningful. Narratives were developed from the participants interviews. <p>Themes that emerged from the data included the participants experiences of meaning and purpose. All three participants identified their salaried employment as providing meaning in their lives. Their experience of music included a transcendent dimension, a sense of connection to others, a higher self, or to God. Factors that may have encouraged or prohibited the participants achievement in work or music included early learning experiences, exposure to role models and mentoring opportunities, financial concerns, socioeconomic status, social support, psychological traits, and self-efficacy beliefs. <p>This study has relevance for individuals seeking meaning and purpose in their own lives. The narratives exemplified the lives of three individuals with the coping skills, resiliencies, and strengths required to thrive personally and professionally and attain a high level of achievement in more than one area. The narratives may also interest individuals interested in pursuing a career in the arts, music in particular. <p> This study is also relevant for parents, teachers, and career counsellors who want to facilitate the development of potential and encourage high achievement in their children, students, and clients. Career counsellors might benefit from a greater understanding of the aspects of life and work that affect the individuals experiences and ability to pursue a high level of achievement. Early recognition of talent, followed by parental support and discipline as well as professional recognition would be a good start. Encouragement in the form of acknowledgement and financial assistance would continue to develop the individuals ability. However, external resources would not be sufficient without the internal resources, such as responsibility, courage, optimism, hope, perseverance, autonomy, and self-acceptance. Further study could research the application of positive psychology to enhance the development of talent and/or achievement.