Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Apparel, Textiles, and Interior Design / Kim Hiller Connell / With apparel production finding itself a leading cause of harm to the environment, the call to action to influence purchase intention for environmentally sustainable apparel (ESA) is pertinent for the current and future well-being of both the environment and humankind. Supplying a base of knowledge to consumers is crucial to enable them to understand the consequences the AT industry has on the environment. This knowledge can potentially lead to a change of attitude and change in purchase intention. However, reaching the populous and changing consumer knowledge of and attitudes towards environmentally sustainable apparel is challenging. This study considers social networking sites (SNS) a feasible strategy regarding this issue because they not only rapidly communicate to consumers but SNS also convey the attitudes and opinions of users’ online referent groups. This study better understands the variances among consumer characteristics and their knowledge of environmental issues in the apparel and textile industry. The purpose of this exploratory study is to initiate the investigation as to whether or not SNS may be a potential mechanism for increasing purchase intention for environmentally sustainable apparel. This exploration focuses on identifying consumer characteristics of social networking site users and investigating whether differences in consumer knowledge about environmental issues in apparel production leads to differences in attitudes about and ultimately purchase intentions of ESA. This study also examines whether or not the presence of social influence on SNS may serve as a mechanism to overcome the barriers (knowledge and attitudes) limiting purchase intention for ESA. An online national survey of 783 participants was conducted utilizing six scales. Simple bivariate correlations, ANOVA, and a hierarchial regression was conducted to understand if adding social influence of SNS as an additional component to Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) provides greater predictive power for ESA behavior intentions. Findings from the study indicate that SNS influence and subjective norm are not stronger predictors of ESA purchase intention above knowledge and attitudes but they do contribute to the TRA and increasing the probability of purchase intention.

The global fashion retail industry has been characterised by fierce competition for numerous years. Boutiques face increasing pressure to distinctly differentiate themselves from competing retail stores offering fashion merchandise, since customers are becoming ever more demanding as fashion evolves and new trends reach South African retail stores. Accordingly, marketers have to ensure customer satisfaction, build store loyalty, and stimulate repurchase intentions in the fashion retail industry in order to survive and prosper. For marketers to attract and retain customers, they have to adjust their marketing strategies and utilise various elements in the marketing mix to compete for customers’ attention, satisfy their retail experience needs, and encourage them to return. Shopping for clothes forms a significant part of many South African females’ lifestyles. Customers to whom fashion is important, have specific needs and wants and desire specific retail experiences. These customers are also becoming increasingly more sophisticated and individualistic, and therefore turn to small, speciality retailers such as boutiques, which they believe can accommodate them by providing unique and tailored retail experiences. Essentially, these customers do not merely purchase the retailer’s merchandise; they want to experience the store atmosphere the retailer offers. Therefore, it is important for boutiques to be aware of their store atmosphere which can offer customers a satisfying, consistent and sound retail experience. Customers who positively experience a retailer’s store atmosphere may feel more satisfied with the boutique, and may return to the retail store in the hope of receiving a similar retail experience. Once the customer returns to the same retail store, the possibility arises that the customer may become store loyal. As soon as the customer keeps on returning to the same retail store, the probability of repurchase intentions becomes real. That said, store atmosphere is considered to be a significant marketing tool, given that it provides boutiques with the power to manipulate a customer’s retail experience which could ultimately influence, customer satisfaction, store loyalty and repurchase intention. The primary objective of this research study is to investigate store atmosphere as a second-order construct model comprised from four sub-dimensions (factors) namely the retail store exterior, interior, layout and design and point-of-purchase and décoration in order to determine the interrelationships between these sub-dimensions (factors), customer satisfaction, store loyalty and repurchase intention in the fashion retail industry. In order to address this, a descriptive research design was followed and self-administered questionnaires were fielded amongst females, 18 years and older with an average monthly household net income of more than R14 000 (medium-to-high household income) who have bought items most recently from boutiques in Potchefstroom and Klerksdorp during the past six months. Judgemental, convenience and quota sampling methods were used to select the sampling units and sampling elements. A total of 361 questionnaires were ultimately analysed. With respect to the empirical results of this research study, respondents agreed the most that the exterior location of the boutique is convenient, the entrance to the boutique is inviting, the interior of the boutique is clean and that the temperature in the boutique is comfortable. Regarding the layout and design of the boutique, respondents agreed the most that the checkout and service points in the boutique are well placed and that all the spaces in the boutique are creatively utilised, as well as that the furnishings in the boutique are attractive. Finally, regarding the point-of-purchase and décoration of the boutique, respondents agreed the most that the pricing of the merchandise in the boutique is clearly visible and that the merchandise is well displayed. All the measurement scales measuring the sub-dimensions (factors) and constructs of this research study exhibit internal consistency reliability as well as content, construct and criterion validity. The standardised model results indicate that all statements included in the measurement model exhibit significant factor loadings above the recommended cut-off point, exhibiting a large effect in all instances, leading to the retention of all statements for further statistical analysis. With respect to the assessment of the structural model, the fit indices indicate an acceptable model fit. Based on the empirical results obtained from this research study, it became clear that store atmosphere has a large direct influence on customer satisfaction and store loyalty, albeit with no direct influence on repurchase intention. Both mediation relationships realised a medium indirect effect between store atmosphere and repurchase intention with customer satisfaction and store loyalty as mediators. The recommendations of this research study mainly focus on strategies to improve the store atmosphere of boutiques, since it positively influences customer satisfaction and store loyalty directly and repurchase intention indirectly. Limitations the researcher encountered were mainly related to budget and time constraints. Recommendations for future research include extending this research study to other Provinces of South Africa in order to determine the status quo in these Provinces and to determine whether statistical significant differences exist between respondents based upon demographic and geographic differences with respect to the constructs of this research study. / MCom (Marketing Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

In the context of an ever-changing global environment, organisations must strive even harder than before to inspire employees to deliver outstanding results that will lead to a sustainable future. Engaged employees will deliver long term value, but most will not reach their full potential without a manager who understands and is committed to increase engagement in others. Managers are the key influencers to create meaningful engagements. The aim of this study was to investigate if employees’ experience of their managers as people developer (MPD) will have an effect on work engagement, and if work engagement will have an effect on subjective well-being, performance and turnover intention. The study also considered the possible mediating effect of work engagement. The primary focus therefore has been on the relationship between MPD and work engagement. Secondly, the study examined the relationship between MPD, subjective well-being, performance and turnover. The study followed a descriptive, cross-sectional and quantitative approach. The following measuring instruments were used: the Leader Empower Behaviour Questionnaire (LEBQ), the Empowering Leadership Questionnaire (ELQ), the Work Engagement Scale (WES), the Turnover Intention Scale (TIS), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), the Affect Balance Scale (ABS), and the organisations performance rating scale. These instruments were used to test whether the measures of the constructs were consistent with the understanding of the nature of the constructs; also whether the data fitted the hypothesised measurement model. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to examine the structural relationships between the constructs. The results showed that significant relationships existed between MPD and work engagement, subjective well-being, performance and turnover intention. No significant relationship was found x between performance and turnover intention, and performance and subjective well-being. Regression analyses indicated that MPD had significant predictive value towards work engagement and turnover intention, and work engagement had significant predictive value towards turnover intention, subjective well-being and performance. An indirect effect was found from MPD (via work engagement) on subjective well-being and turnover intention, but an indirect effect from MPD on performance (via work engagement) was not found. Work engagement was found to have a direct effect on performance. It was therefore found that work engagement was a strong antecedent to subjective well-being and turnover intention. The implication of the results is that where managers coach and develop employees, it will lead to higher levels of work engagement and lower levels of turnover intention. / MA (Industrial Psychology)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2015.

The management of human capital is becoming of great importance. Research on this topic is largely based on talent shortages. In South Africa, considerable attention has been given to the issue of skills shortages, which are also evident in the education environment. The government has exerted many efforts; however, despite these efforts, skills shortages are still prevalent. A definite need for reform and change is necessary, with emphasis on a more positive and combined approach, focusing on strengths use and deficit improvement, psychological empowerment, work engagement and intention to leave. Therefore, the retention of talented employees has been identified as the most important outcome of a positive organisation. The general objective of this study was to determine if the Strengths Use and Deficit Improvement Questionnaire (SUDIQ) and Measuring Empowerment Questionnaire (MEQ) were reliable and valid to administer to educators in South Africa; and whether (a) psychological empowerment mediated the relationship between perceived organisational support for strengths use (POSSU) and work engagement, and between perceived organisational support for deficit improvement (POSDI) and work engagement; and (b) whether work engagement mediated the relationship between psychological empowerment and turnover intention. The study furthermore contributed to positive psychology research, using a combined focus on strengths use and deficit improvement in relation to psychological empowerment in the education sector. A need existed to test the reliability and validity (construct and convergent) of the SUDIQ and the MEQ among educators in the Southern Cape region. A cross-sectional survey was used to reach the objectives of this study. Convenience samples were drawn from educators in the Southern Cape region (N = 271). The results revealed that the SUDIQ scale comprised four factors, namely perceived organisational support for strengths use (POSSU), perceived organisational support for deficit improvement (POSDI), proactive behaviour towards strengths use (PBSU) and proactive behaviour towards deficit improvement (PBDI). In the same way, meaning, self-determination, competence and impact were revealed as the four distinct factors of the MEQ. In testing the relationships between the constructs, POSSU correlated practically significantly (medium effect) with all the MEQ constructs. PBSU correlated practically significantly (large effect) with meaning and competence, and practically significantly (medium effect) with self-determination and impact. POSDI, as a construct of the SUDIQ, showed to correlate practically significantly (medium effect) with meaning, competence, self-determination and impact. In the case of PBDI, practically significant correlations (medium effect) were aligned between PBDI and all the constructs of the MEQ. Through this study, it was revealed that POSSU significantly predicted psychological empowerment, but not work engagement. Significant and positive paths were found between POSDI and both psychological empowerment and work engagement. POSDI played a significant role in the prediction of psychological empowerment and work engagement. Furthermore, psychological empowerment played a significant predicting role in work engagement, but not with turnover intention. In the last instance, a significant and negative path was found between work engagement and turnover intention. In terms of the mediation analysis, POSSU indirectly impacted work engagement and intention to leave of educators in the Southern Cape region via psychological empowerment; and POSDI indirectly impacted work engagement and intention to leave of educators in the Southern Cape region via psychological empowerment. Lastly, work engagement was not revealed as a mediator in the relationship between psychological empowerment and intention to leave. A combined focus, incorporating both strengths use and deficit improvement, is a relative new concept and research field. Through this study educators could learn about the benefits of strengths use and deficit improvement and how those could be used to their advantage, especially in becoming more empowered in an education context. Also, this would indeed alert the schools and principals to the benefits of moving away from traditional approaches of focusing on only weaknesses or what was wrong with people, compared to a combined strengths and deficit focus. The results obtained would offer a valuable contribution to research and the limited literature available on this topic. In the South African context, it would be the first study in which the SUDIQ scale had been used in the education sector in the Southern Cape region, examining the extent to which strengths were used and deficits were developed by both employees and the organisation, and how it related to the well-being of educators. Recommendations were made for application and for future research. / MCom (Human Resource Management)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2015.

The global fashion retail industry has been characterised by fierce competition for numerous years. Boutiques face increasing pressure to distinctly differentiate themselves from competing retail stores offering fashion merchandise, since customers are becoming ever more demanding as fashion evolves and new trends reach South African retail stores. Accordingly, marketers have to ensure customer satisfaction, build store loyalty, and stimulate repurchase intentions in the fashion retail industry in order to survive and prosper. For marketers to attract and retain customers, they have to adjust their marketing strategies and utilise various elements in the marketing mix to compete for customers’ attention, satisfy their retail experience needs, and encourage them to return. Shopping for clothes forms a significant part of many South African females’ lifestyles. Customers to whom fashion is important, have specific needs and wants and desire specific retail experiences. These customers are also becoming increasingly more sophisticated and individualistic, and therefore turn to small, speciality retailers such as boutiques, which they believe can accommodate them by providing unique and tailored retail experiences. Essentially, these customers do not merely purchase the retailer’s merchandise; they want to experience the store atmosphere the retailer offers. Therefore, it is important for boutiques to be aware of their store atmosphere which can offer customers a satisfying, consistent and sound retail experience. Customers who positively experience a retailer’s store atmosphere may feel more satisfied with the boutique, and may return to the retail store in the hope of receiving a similar retail experience. Once the customer returns to the same retail store, the possibility arises that the customer may become store loyal. As soon as the customer keeps on returning to the same retail store, the probability of repurchase intentions becomes real. That said, store atmosphere is considered to be a significant marketing tool, given that it provides boutiques with the power to manipulate a customer’s retail experience which could ultimately influence, customer satisfaction, store loyalty and repurchase intention. The primary objective of this research study is to investigate store atmosphere as a second-order construct model comprised from four sub-dimensions (factors) namely the retail store exterior, interior, layout and design and point-of-purchase and décoration in order to determine the interrelationships between these sub-dimensions (factors), customer satisfaction, store loyalty and repurchase intention in the fashion retail industry. In order to address this, a descriptive research design was followed and self-administered questionnaires were fielded amongst females, 18 years and older with an average monthly household net income of more than R14 000 (medium-to-high household income) who have bought items most recently from boutiques in Potchefstroom and Klerksdorp during the past six months. Judgemental, convenience and quota sampling methods were used to select the sampling units and sampling elements. A total of 361 questionnaires were ultimately analysed. With respect to the empirical results of this research study, respondents agreed the most that the exterior location of the boutique is convenient, the entrance to the boutique is inviting, the interior of the boutique is clean and that the temperature in the boutique is comfortable. Regarding the layout and design of the boutique, respondents agreed the most that the checkout and service points in the boutique are well placed and that all the spaces in the boutique are creatively utilised, as well as that the furnishings in the boutique are attractive. Finally, regarding the point-of-purchase and décoration of the boutique, respondents agreed the most that the pricing of the merchandise in the boutique is clearly visible and that the merchandise is well displayed. All the measurement scales measuring the sub-dimensions (factors) and constructs of this research study exhibit internal consistency reliability as well as content, construct and criterion validity. The standardised model results indicate that all statements included in the measurement model exhibit significant factor loadings above the recommended cut-off point, exhibiting a large effect in all instances, leading to the retention of all statements for further statistical analysis. With respect to the assessment of the structural model, the fit indices indicate an acceptable model fit. Based on the empirical results obtained from this research study, it became clear that store atmosphere has a large direct influence on customer satisfaction and store loyalty, albeit with no direct influence on repurchase intention. Both mediation relationships realised a medium indirect effect between store atmosphere and repurchase intention with customer satisfaction and store loyalty as mediators. The recommendations of this research study mainly focus on strategies to improve the store atmosphere of boutiques, since it positively influences customer satisfaction and store loyalty directly and repurchase intention indirectly. Limitations the researcher encountered were mainly related to budget and time constraints. Recommendations for future research include extending this research study to other Provinces of South Africa in order to determine the status quo in these Provinces and to determine whether statistical significant differences exist between respondents based upon demographic and geographic differences with respect to the constructs of this research study. / MCom (Marketing Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

In the context of an ever-changing global environment, organisations must strive even harder than before to inspire employees to deliver outstanding results that will lead to a sustainable future. Engaged employees will deliver long term value, but most will not reach their full potential without a manager who understands and is committed to increase engagement in others. Managers are the key influencers to create meaningful engagements. The aim of this study was to investigate if employees’ experience of their managers as people developer (MPD) will have an effect on work engagement, and if work engagement will have an effect on subjective well-being, performance and turnover intention. The study also considered the possible mediating effect of work engagement. The primary focus therefore has been on the relationship between MPD and work engagement. Secondly, the study examined the relationship between MPD, subjective well-being, performance and turnover. The study followed a descriptive, cross-sectional and quantitative approach. The following measuring instruments were used: the Leader Empower Behaviour Questionnaire (LEBQ), the Empowering Leadership Questionnaire (ELQ), the Work Engagement Scale (WES), the Turnover Intention Scale (TIS), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), the Affect Balance Scale (ABS), and the organisations performance rating scale. These instruments were used to test whether the measures of the constructs were consistent with the understanding of the nature of the constructs; also whether the data fitted the hypothesised measurement model. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to examine the structural relationships between the constructs. The results showed that significant relationships existed between MPD and work engagement, subjective well-being, performance and turnover intention. No significant relationship was found x between performance and turnover intention, and performance and subjective well-being. Regression analyses indicated that MPD had significant predictive value towards work engagement and turnover intention, and work engagement had significant predictive value towards turnover intention, subjective well-being and performance. An indirect effect was found from MPD (via work engagement) on subjective well-being and turnover intention, but an indirect effect from MPD on performance (via work engagement) was not found. Work engagement was found to have a direct effect on performance. It was therefore found that work engagement was a strong antecedent to subjective well-being and turnover intention. The implication of the results is that where managers coach and develop employees, it will lead to higher levels of work engagement and lower levels of turnover intention. / MA (Industrial Psychology)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2015.

The management of human capital is becoming of great importance. Research on this topic is largely based on talent shortages. In South Africa, considerable attention has been given to the issue of skills shortages, which are also evident in the education environment. The government has exerted many efforts; however, despite these efforts, skills shortages are still prevalent. A definite need for reform and change is necessary, with emphasis on a more positive and combined approach, focusing on strengths use and deficit improvement, psychological empowerment, work engagement and intention to leave. Therefore, the retention of talented employees has been identified as the most important outcome of a positive organisation. The general objective of this study was to determine if the Strengths Use and Deficit Improvement Questionnaire (SUDIQ) and Measuring Empowerment Questionnaire (MEQ) were reliable and valid to administer to educators in South Africa; and whether (a) psychological empowerment mediated the relationship between perceived organisational support for strengths use (POSSU) and work engagement, and between perceived organisational support for deficit improvement (POSDI) and work engagement; and (b) whether work engagement mediated the relationship between psychological empowerment and turnover intention. The study furthermore contributed to positive psychology research, using a combined focus on strengths use and deficit improvement in relation to psychological empowerment in the education sector. A need existed to test the reliability and validity (construct and convergent) of the SUDIQ and the MEQ among educators in the Southern Cape region. A cross-sectional survey was used to reach the objectives of this study. Convenience samples were drawn from educators in the Southern Cape region (N = 271). The results revealed that the SUDIQ scale comprised four factors, namely perceived organisational support for strengths use (POSSU), perceived organisational support for deficit improvement (POSDI), proactive behaviour towards strengths use (PBSU) and proactive behaviour towards deficit improvement (PBDI). In the same way, meaning, self-determination, competence and impact were revealed as the four distinct factors of the MEQ. In testing the relationships between the constructs, POSSU correlated practically significantly (medium effect) with all the MEQ constructs. PBSU correlated practically significantly (large effect) with meaning and competence, and practically significantly (medium effect) with self-determination and impact. POSDI, as a construct of the SUDIQ, showed to correlate practically significantly (medium effect) with meaning, competence, self-determination and impact. In the case of PBDI, practically significant correlations (medium effect) were aligned between PBDI and all the constructs of the MEQ. Through this study, it was revealed that POSSU significantly predicted psychological empowerment, but not work engagement. Significant and positive paths were found between POSDI and both psychological empowerment and work engagement. POSDI played a significant role in the prediction of psychological empowerment and work engagement. Furthermore, psychological empowerment played a significant predicting role in work engagement, but not with turnover intention. In the last instance, a significant and negative path was found between work engagement and turnover intention. In terms of the mediation analysis, POSSU indirectly impacted work engagement and intention to leave of educators in the Southern Cape region via psychological empowerment; and POSDI indirectly impacted work engagement and intention to leave of educators in the Southern Cape region via psychological empowerment. Lastly, work engagement was not revealed as a mediator in the relationship between psychological empowerment and intention to leave. A combined focus, incorporating both strengths use and deficit improvement, is a relative new concept and research field. Through this study educators could learn about the benefits of strengths use and deficit improvement and how those could be used to their advantage, especially in becoming more empowered in an education context. Also, this would indeed alert the schools and principals to the benefits of moving away from traditional approaches of focusing on only weaknesses or what was wrong with people, compared to a combined strengths and deficit focus. The results obtained would offer a valuable contribution to research and the limited literature available on this topic. In the South African context, it would be the first study in which the SUDIQ scale had been used in the education sector in the Southern Cape region, examining the extent to which strengths were used and deficits were developed by both employees and the organisation, and how it related to the well-being of educators. Recommendations were made for application and for future research. / MCom (Human Resource Management)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2015.

Le contexte actuel de turbulences économiques et de pénurie de main-d'oeuvre engendre le retard de départs en retraite ou, à l'inverse, le retour en emploi de travailleurs plus âgés. Ceci crée vraisemblablement une augmentation des pressions auprès des gestionnaires pour s'adapter rapidement afin de garantir la performance et la pérennité de l'organisation. En plus de la nécessité d'adapter les pratiques de gestion au contexte changeant, diverses générations cohabitent en emploi et ont des préférences en matière de pratiques de gestion engendrant un défi supplémentaire pour les gestionnaires. En ce sens, il leur est nécessaire de connaitre les comportements susceptibles de créer un impact particulier en fonction de la génération visée. À cet égard, la mesure du style de gestion prend toute son importance puisque, d'un volet pratique, intervenir auprès d'un gestionnaire pour développer de nouvelles façons de faire afin de créer un impact plus souhaitable sur ses ressources nécessite d'abord l'évaluation des comportements actuels pour jauger des besoins en coaching, par exemple. D'un volet empirique, il importe de valider l'impact de certains comportements de gestion, puis leur variation potentielle en fonction des générations. Cependant, l'étude du style de gestion a principalement porté sur les déterminants aux comportements apportant peu de précisions quant aux comportements de gestion concrets. Ainsi, les deux études proposées visent trois objectifs complémentaires : 1) la réalisation d'une mesure comportementale, francophone et intégrée du style de gestion, 2) la vérification des représentations des comportements de gestion en fonction de différentes générations et 3) la vérification de l'impact des comportements d'un gestionnaire, de même que des préférences générationnelles, sur plusieurs résultantes organisationnelles d'importance. Un échantillon de 1 121 participants recrutés dans deux organisations québécoises et auprès d'une firme en psychologie du travail et en ressources humaines a permis d'atteindre ces objectifs. La première étude a permis d'identifier 15 pratiques de gestion importantes pour tous les groupes à l'étude. La seconde étude a permis de valider à nouveau la structure en 15 facteurs de l'instrument et a fait ressortir l'apport positif des pratiques de gestion sur l'engagement, l'intention de quitter, l'habilitation et l'épuisement professionnel. De plus, il a été possible de déterminer que les générations ne répondent effectivement pas de la même façon aux comportements de leur supérieur. Les membres de la génération Y sont globalement plus engagés et habilités par les comportements de leur supérieur, alors que c'est l'inverse chez les Baby-boomers. Par ailleurs, on remarque que les perceptions et les réactions des différents groupes varient souvent en fonction linéaire de l'écart générationnel. Ces différences seraient donc davantage attribuables à un effet du stade de carrière qu'à l'appartenance générationnelle. Finalement, les résultats obtenus favorisent l'adaptation des gestionnaires au contexte actuel de l'emploi en leur fournissant d'abord un outil pour mesurer l'étendue comportementale de leur style de gestion, puis en fournissant des indicateurs clairs de comment adapter leurs pratiques en fonction des groupes d'individus pour obtenir les résultats organisationnels souhaités.

The purpose of this study is to increase the knowledge of the factors which social workers consider leads to a lower employee turnover among the social services child- and youth welfare departments. The question from where we emanated was: - What do the social workers describe as what makes them enjoy, and want to remain within the profession as a whole? The other question was: - What do the social workers describe as what makes them enjoy, and want to remain more specifically in their work place? The results are analyzed according to Antonovsky’s theory regarding KASAM and Hertzberg’s two factor theory. The study is of a qualitative nature and was performed through semi structured interviews with six social workers working with child- and youth investigations at the social services in the western part of Sweden. The result show that the factors that social workers think form a foundation for a lower employee turnover were factors linked to the leadership, the social support and the personal and professional development. The difference that was revealed in the study between the factors leading to lower employee turnover on the local work place compared to the general profession was that the salary had influence, but wasn’t the deciding factor whether you stay at your local work place but it was considered to be of a more deciding character when it comes to attracting new, and keeping the existing employees in general.

Rationality is very widely regarded as a normative notion, which underwrites various everyday normative practices of evaluation, criticism, and advice. When some agent behaves irrationally, she is likely to be critically evaluated, and advised to change her ways. Such practices seem to presuppose that agents ought to behave as rationality requires. But some philosophers question this thought. They argue that at least some requirements of rationality cannot be ones that we ought to comply with. This thesis aims to dispel such sceptical doubts over the normativity of rationality; it defends the idea that the requirements of rationality are indeed normative, in the sense that if one is rationally required to F, one ought to F because rationality requires one to F. The normativity of three requirements of practical rationality in particular is the main target for defense in the following pages. They are: [ENKRASIA] Rationality requires of A that, if A believes she ought to F, then A intends to F. [MEANS-ENDS] Rationality requires of A that, if A intends to E, and believes that she will not E unless she intends to M, then A intends to M. [INTENTION CONSISTENCY] Rationality requires of A that, if A intends to F, and believes that she cannot both F and G, then A does not intend to G. After presenting some of the grounds for scepticism about the normativity of these three requirements in chapter 1, the thesis goes on in chapters 2 & 3 to critically examine several different accounts of why rationality is normative, concluding that they are all unsuccessful; a novel account is called for. An account of this kind is offered over the course of the two following chapters, 4 & 5. Each requirement is shown to be constituted by a certain kind of ought, while at the same time corresponding to a rule of correct reasoning. Chapter 6 is devoted to answering an objection to that account, according to which the rules of reasoning are given by permissions rather than requirements. Chapter 7 offers a digression into a related issue in action theory: it unfavorably explores the idea that reasoning is a factor that can be used to analyse not only rational action, but also intentional action more broadly; the chapter suggests that treating intentional action as irreducible is the more fruitful approach. Finally, chapter 8 summarizes the main conclusions of the thesis and comments on some remaining questions.