This qualitative study explores the relationship between a childless married couple and their dog by looking at this phenomenon through a social constructionistic viewpoint. Human animal interaction has been studied in various different research scenarios, where this interaction was seen as enhancing health or well being in both the human and animal. This study focused on a more “human” role that an animal could play in the lives of people by becoming a family member and how this role affects the family as a whole. The research was conducted to determine whether a childless married couple could experience a fulfilling caring relationship with a dog within this formed family unit. Four elements that are commonly found in a caring relationship were identified and looked at as to whether they can also be found in the relationship that develops between a childless married couple and their dog. The four elements, love, attachment, need fulfilment and ritualisation also formed the broad predetermined themes investigated in this study. The participants were requested to complete an open-ended questionnaire in which the questions explored the relationship between the married couple and their dog. The data received from these questionnaires was then analysed through content analysis by using the predetermined themes as a framework but also allowing further themes and sub themes to develop from the research data. The participants indicated that they experienced the fulfilment of various needs in the relationship they have with their dog. This need fulfilment included the need for a family, the need for companionship, the need to be needed and the need for gratitude. Ritualisation occurred in the form of disciplinary methods and various set activities like fixed eating, sleeping and grooming times. The participants viewed their relationship with their dog as one that is formed out of mutual love and attachment. The feeling of love was expressed through companionship, trust and physical contact as well as the use of nicknames for their dog and by showing pride in their dog. A strong attachment also existed between the participants and their dogs. This attachment could be seen in the participants’ holiday arrangements that were usually made to accommodate the dog as well as the fact that they missed their dogs and believed their dogs to have also missed them when they were separated. They could become so attached to each other that they might experience separation anxiety and grief at the loss or the thought of losing their dogs. The four elements of caring were thus found in the relationship between a childless married couple and their dog. The existence of these elements suggests that a caring relationship can be formed between a childless married couple and their dog. This caring relationship can have positive emotional and physical influences on both the people and their dogs. / Dissertation (M (Research Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Psychology / unrestricted

The psychology of working theory (PWT) postulates that certain contextual and structural factors determine if individuals are able to obtain decent work, and that decent work, in turn, leads to work fulfilment and general well-being. The theory assumes that this is the case, as decent work satisfies three fundamental human needs: survival and power, social connection, and self-determination (as per the self-determination theory [SDT]). Only recently has a measure been developed to assess the satisfaction of these needs (Autin et al., under review), which means that the proposed role of need satisfaction as mediator in the link between decent work and work fulfilment/general well-being has not yet been tested empirically. This formed the objective of this study. The study employed a descriptive research design with a correlational approach. Working individuals residing in South Africa’s Western Cape province (N = 150) rated their work experiences on the decent work scale (DWS), work need satisfaction scale (WNSS), index of job satisfaction (IoJS) scale, and satisfaction with life scale (SWLS). In this sample, adequate healthcare did not fall within the decent work concept. This might be because it is common for working South Africans, especially in lower income brackets, not to receive healthcare benefits, which would thus not be expected. The autonomy and relationship aspects of the SDT self-determination need formed one instead of two separate components. This may be a reflection of low levels of trust in low-income workers, which means that autonomy is only provided if there is a positive relationship. Decent work predicted work fulfilment and individuals’ well-being and, as expected, this relationship was mediated by the fulfilment of the hypothesised needs (survival and power, social connection, SDT relationship + autonomy, and SDT competence). The study thus indicates the applicability of the PWT in the South African context. Organisations should thus be encouraged to provide employees with decent work, as this, in turn, will likely increase employees’ work fulfilment and general wellbeing.

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to explore order fulfilment under the pressure of disruptionin the supply chain of international private organisations in the context of economic sanctions. Aconcept’s development was intended with the newest academic stud ies when the paper was written. Methodology and approach - It is an empirical research which uses qualitative methods ofresearch. The methods are an integrative literature review and case studies with interviews ofcompanies’ workers on companies facing e nvironmental and economic sanctions. Findings - The private companies prepare the supply chain disruptions mainly after encounteringsuch problems. The strategies against the disruptions amongst the network improve the resilient.The risk mitigation and th e management of this type of crisis are discovered in this study. Research limitations and implications - The low number of respondents and authors reduces theimpact and the possibilities of the research. The methods used limit the results as well as thesampling method. Practical implications - The theories and strategies built from previous researches are facing thecases of companies. And it shows that the access to various markets by the companies have alsoeffects on the reactivity of the supply chain of the companies. Originality or value - The context of supply chain disruptions in environmental disruptions andeconomic sanctions in the case of European sanctions against the Russian federation and coups inAfrica are explored. Type of paper - Master thesis with empirical research.

No description available.

Globally competitive businesses have gone through a lot of change over the last few years, even decades. Organisations need to keep abreast with what is happening around them in order for them to reach their strategic targets. Over the past few years, many organisations realised that their most valuable assets are their employees and the knowledge that they possess. The main key to retaining employees is nested in a positive employment relationship. Current organisations, and more specifically mining organisations, are encountering great difficulty in maintaining a positive relationship with their employees; the numerous strikes bearing testimony to this. Some of these strikes lasted for long periods and one even ended in lives being lost. These days, many mining companies find themselves in escalating financial turmoil, due to human capital problems resulting in labour unrest and subsequent inoperativeness. Therefore, establishing and maintaining a positive employment relationship is of cardinal importance in recruiting and retaining quality employees who will give the organisation a competitive edge. One factor that contributes greatly to a positive employment relationship which is conducive towards promoting positive individual and organisational outcomes is the psychological contract. Fulfilment of the psychological contract where employers offer employees opportunities for personal growth, career advancement, and a supportive work environment will lead to employees experiencing job satisfaction, organisational citizenship behaviour and propensity to remain with the organisation. Violation of the psychological contract, however, will lead to discontent, resulting in increased turnover propensity. The way in which employees perceive their own employability might also have an effect on their decision whether or not to stay with the organisation that has violated their psychological contracts. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of the psychological contract and employability in a mining organisation and to determine the outcomes thereof. A quantitative approach was used to gather data. The questionnaires were distributed to employees (N = 205) across all levels within a mining organisation. The measuring instruments used were the Psychological Contract Inventory, Violations of Psychological Contract Questionnaire, Employability Scale, Job Satisfaction Scale, Organisational Citizenship Behaviour Scale and Turnover Intention Scale. Results in Article 1 (Chapter 2) showed that job satisfaction displayed a strong, positive relationship with psychological contract fulfilment and with organisational citizenship behaviour. Job dissatisfaction impacted turnover intention negatively. Furthermore, psychological contract fulfilment had an indirect positive impact on low turnover intention and organisational citizenship behaviour via job satisfaction. Article 2 (Chapter 3) showed that external employability displayed a strong, positive relationship with internal employability; whereas psychological contract violation had a significant positive relationship with turnover intention. It was further found that external employability moderated the relationship between psychological contract violation and turnover intention. / MCom (Labour Relations Management), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014

Globally competitive businesses have gone through a lot of change over the last few years, even decades. Organisations need to keep abreast with what is happening around them in order for them to reach their strategic targets. Over the past few years, many organisations realised that their most valuable assets are their employees and the knowledge that they possess. The main key to retaining employees is nested in a positive employment relationship. Current organisations, and more specifically mining organisations, are encountering great difficulty in maintaining a positive relationship with their employees; the numerous strikes bearing testimony to this. Some of these strikes lasted for long periods and one even ended in lives being lost. These days, many mining companies find themselves in escalating financial turmoil, due to human capital problems resulting in labour unrest and subsequent inoperativeness. Therefore, establishing and maintaining a positive employment relationship is of cardinal importance in recruiting and retaining quality employees who will give the organisation a competitive edge. One factor that contributes greatly to a positive employment relationship which is conducive towards promoting positive individual and organisational outcomes is the psychological contract. Fulfilment of the psychological contract where employers offer employees opportunities for personal growth, career advancement, and a supportive work environment will lead to employees experiencing job satisfaction, organisational citizenship behaviour and propensity to remain with the organisation. Violation of the psychological contract, however, will lead to discontent, resulting in increased turnover propensity. The way in which employees perceive their own employability might also have an effect on their decision whether or not to stay with the organisation that has violated their psychological contracts. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of the psychological contract and employability in a mining organisation and to determine the outcomes thereof. A quantitative approach was used to gather data. The questionnaires were distributed to employees (N = 205) across all levels within a mining organisation. The measuring instruments used were the Psychological Contract Inventory, Violations of Psychological Contract Questionnaire, Employability Scale, Job Satisfaction Scale, Organisational Citizenship Behaviour Scale and Turnover Intention Scale. Results in Article 1 (Chapter 2) showed that job satisfaction displayed a strong, positive relationship with psychological contract fulfilment and with organisational citizenship behaviour. Job dissatisfaction impacted turnover intention negatively. Furthermore, psychological contract fulfilment had an indirect positive impact on low turnover intention and organisational citizenship behaviour via job satisfaction. Article 2 (Chapter 3) showed that external employability displayed a strong, positive relationship with internal employability; whereas psychological contract violation had a significant positive relationship with turnover intention. It was further found that external employability moderated the relationship between psychological contract violation and turnover intention. / MCom (Labour Relations Management), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014

Alla elever i grundskolan, ska sedan januari 2006, ha en individuell utvecklingsplan vars syfte främst är att stödja elevers måluppfyllelse, enligt de nationella styrdokumen-ten. I Skolverkets allmänna råd (2005) anges att elever såväl som föräldrar ska ges del-aktighet och inflytande över arbetet med IUP. Vi har en uppfattning om att en samver-kansprocess, mellan lärare, elev och föräldrar, kring arbetet med IUP är av vikt för att eleven ska nå ökad måluppfyllelse. Därför var syftet med studien att belysa hur elever och föräldrar uppfattar sin delaktighet i samverkansprocessen kring IUP samt hur lära-ren gör för att involvera elever och föräldrar i det arbetet. För att få en bild av hur sam-verkansprocessen kring den individuella utvecklingsplanen uppfattas av lärare, elever och föräldrar har såväl kvalitativa som kvantitativa metoder använts. Dessa har bestått av lärar- och föräldraenkäter samt av elevintervjuer. Resultatet visar att elever och för-äldrar upplever stor delaktighet kring arbetet med IUP. Studiens resultat visar även att eleverna genom IUP fått en större medvetenhet över sitt lärande. Beträffande lärarper-spektivet visar vårt resultat att lärarna anser det viktigt att involvera elever såväl som föräldrar. Lärarnas motiv för att involvera eleven i arbetet med IUP är att skapa delak-tighet, motivation och ansvarstagande hos eleven för en ökad måluppfyllelse. Samman-taget visar vår studie att en god samverkansprocess kan leda till ökad måluppfyllelse för eleven. / Since January 2006, an individual development plan (IUP) should be prepared for every pupil in comprehensive school. The aim of development plan is to support pupils’ pos-sibilities to fulfil the goals of the National curriculum. General counsels of the National Board of Education (2005) states that both pupils and parents should be given the pos-sibility to influence on and participate in the work with IUP. We articulate that the co-operation process between teacher, pupil and parents concerning IUP, is of importance for pupils’ goal fulfilment. Therefore, the aim of the study was to elucidate how stu-dents and parents consider their participation in the cooperation process with IUP, and how the teacher involves students and parents in the process. In order to find out how the cooperation process concerning the individual development plan is considered by teachers, students, and parents, both qualitative and quantitative methods have been used. These consist of teachers’- and parents’ inquiries, and by pupils’ interviews. The result shows that both pupils and parents experience a great deal of participation con-cerning the work with IUP. The result also shows that the students through IUP have improved their awareness of the learning process. Regarding the teachers’ perspective, our study illuminates that teachers consider it important to involve both pupils and par-ents. Teacher’s reason for involving pupils in the work with IUP is to create participa-tion, motivation, and responsibility among pupils for an increased goal fulfilment. All in all, our study shows that a good cooperation process increases pupils’ goal fulfil-ment.

<p>Alla elever i grundskolan, ska sedan januari 2006, ha en individuell utvecklingsplan vars syfte främst är att stödja elevers måluppfyllelse, enligt de nationella styrdokumen-ten. I Skolverkets allmänna råd (2005) anges att elever såväl som föräldrar ska ges del-aktighet och inflytande över arbetet med IUP. Vi har en uppfattning om att en samver-kansprocess, mellan lärare, elev och föräldrar, kring arbetet med IUP är av vikt för att eleven ska nå ökad måluppfyllelse. Därför var syftet med studien att belysa hur elever och föräldrar uppfattar sin delaktighet i samverkansprocessen kring IUP samt hur lära-ren gör för att involvera elever och föräldrar i det arbetet. För att få en bild av hur sam-verkansprocessen kring den individuella utvecklingsplanen uppfattas av lärare, elever och föräldrar har såväl kvalitativa som kvantitativa metoder använts. Dessa har bestått av lärar- och föräldraenkäter samt av elevintervjuer. Resultatet visar att elever och för-äldrar upplever stor delaktighet kring arbetet med IUP. Studiens resultat visar även att eleverna genom IUP fått en större medvetenhet över sitt lärande. Beträffande lärarper-spektivet visar vårt resultat att lärarna anser det viktigt att involvera elever såväl som föräldrar. Lärarnas motiv för att involvera eleven i arbetet med IUP är att skapa delak-tighet, motivation och ansvarstagande hos eleven för en ökad måluppfyllelse. Samman-taget visar vår studie att en god samverkansprocess kan leda till ökad måluppfyllelse för eleven.</p> / <p>Since January 2006, an individual development plan (IUP) should be prepared for every pupil in comprehensive school. The aim of development plan is to support pupils’ pos-sibilities to fulfil the goals of the National curriculum. General counsels of the National Board of Education (2005) states that both pupils and parents should be given the pos-sibility to influence on and participate in the work with IUP. We articulate that the co-operation process between teacher, pupil and parents concerning IUP, is of importance for pupils’ goal fulfilment. Therefore, the aim of the study was to elucidate how stu-dents and parents consider their participation in the cooperation process with IUP, and how the teacher involves students and parents in the process. In order to find out how the cooperation process concerning the individual development plan is considered by teachers, students, and parents, both qualitative and quantitative methods have been used. These consist of teachers’- and parents’ inquiries, and by pupils’ interviews. The result shows that both pupils and parents experience a great deal of participation con-cerning the work with IUP. The result also shows that the students through IUP have improved their awareness of the learning process. Regarding the teachers’ perspective, our study illuminates that teachers consider it important to involve both pupils and par-ents. Teacher’s reason for involving pupils in the work with IUP is to create participa-tion, motivation, and responsibility among pupils for an increased goal fulfilment. All in all, our study shows that a good cooperation process increases pupils’ goal fulfil-ment.</p>

Atualmente uma empresa não pode contar simplesmente com um bom produto ou serviço, pois a grande concorrência existente no mercado possui bons produtos e bons serviços, todos relativamente equivalentes em tecnologia e preço. Este fato possibilita aos consumidores mudarem de fornecedor pela simples questão de preço, não se opondo em desfazer um relacionamento a qualquer momento, ou manter fidelidade com uma determinada marca ou serviço. Desta forma a conquista de novos clientes poderia ser uma boa opção, se não fosse o alto custo que uma empresa precisa empregar para estas novas conquistas. O cenário atual leva as empresas a focarem suas estratégias na retenção de clientes para poderem obter lucro em suas operações comerciais. O fato é que a retenção de clientes torna-se mais importante que a atração de novos clientes. O Marketing de Relacionamento surge desta nova visão que passa a olhar muito mais para a satisfação das necessidades e desejos dos clientes e não somente a trabalhar com a preocupação da venda de algum produto. Este trabalho tem como finalidade analisar o relacionamento da empresa Casa das Copiadoras com seus clientes, para que através deste estudo possa-se perceber a existência, ou não, de um relacionamento consistente entre as partes e os motivos que levam a sustentação deste relacionamento. Para alcançar os objetivos esperados optou-se por uma abordagem qualitativa que tem como característica principal prover a compreensão do problema em questão com maior precisão, identificar cursos relevantes de ação e obter dados adicionais para que se possa desenvolver uma abordagem definitiva da situação-problema. / Nowadays a company can not only count with a good product or service, for competition existing in the market holds good products and good services, all equivalent in technology and price. This fact makes possible to consumers change from suppliers because of prices not opposing themselves to break connections any moment or maintain fidelity with some mark or service. This way conquer new clients could be a good option if it wouldn’t be the high cost that company needs to invest to this new conquests. The present scenery leads companies to focus their strategies to retain clients and obtain profit in their commercial operations. Retain clients is more important than attract new ones. This is a fact. Relation marketing emerges from this new vision that sticks to client’s satisfactions and necessities and desires and not only works the preoccupation to sell some products. This work wants to analyze the relation between Casa das Copiadoras company and its clients for through this study could understand the existence, or not, of a consistent relation between both parts and the reasons that leads to this relation. To reach the wanted objectives a qualitative approach was chosen. Its principal characteristic is to provide the comprehension of the problem identify important directions of actions and get additional data to develop a definitive boarding of the situation problem.

Atualmente uma empresa não pode contar simplesmente com um bom produto ou serviço, pois a grande concorrência existente no mercado possui bons produtos e bons serviços, todos relativamente equivalentes em tecnologia e preço. Este fato possibilita aos consumidores mudarem de fornecedor pela simples questão de preço, não se opondo em desfazer um relacionamento a qualquer momento, ou manter fidelidade com uma determinada marca ou serviço. Desta forma a conquista de novos clientes poderia ser uma boa opção, se não fosse o alto custo que uma empresa precisa empregar para estas novas conquistas. O cenário atual leva as empresas a focarem suas estratégias na retenção de clientes para poderem obter lucro em suas operações comerciais. O fato é que a retenção de clientes torna-se mais importante que a atração de novos clientes. O Marketing de Relacionamento surge desta nova visão que passa a olhar muito mais para a satisfação das necessidades e desejos dos clientes e não somente a trabalhar com a preocupação da venda de algum produto. Este trabalho tem como finalidade analisar o relacionamento da empresa Casa das Copiadoras com seus clientes, para que através deste estudo possa-se perceber a existência, ou não, de um relacionamento consistente entre as partes e os motivos que levam a sustentação deste relacionamento. Para alcançar os objetivos esperados optou-se por uma abordagem qualitativa que tem como característica principal prover a compreensão do problema em questão com maior precisão, identificar cursos relevantes de ação e obter dados adicionais para que se possa desenvolver uma abordagem definitiva da situação-problema. / Nowadays a company can not only count with a good product or service, for competition existing in the market holds good products and good services, all equivalent in technology and price. This fact makes possible to consumers change from suppliers because of prices not opposing themselves to break connections any moment or maintain fidelity with some mark or service. This way conquer new clients could be a good option if it wouldn’t be the high cost that company needs to invest to this new conquests. The present scenery leads companies to focus their strategies to retain clients and obtain profit in their commercial operations. Retain clients is more important than attract new ones. This is a fact. Relation marketing emerges from this new vision that sticks to client’s satisfactions and necessities and desires and not only works the preoccupation to sell some products. This work wants to analyze the relation between Casa das Copiadoras company and its clients for through this study could understand the existence, or not, of a consistent relation between both parts and the reasons that leads to this relation. To reach the wanted objectives a qualitative approach was chosen. Its principal characteristic is to provide the comprehension of the problem identify important directions of actions and get additional data to develop a definitive boarding of the situation problem.