The retention of highly motivated, skilled and committed employees is a major concern by organisations to achieve a competitive advantage. The turnover intentions of human capital are of interest to managers, employees, and organisations today. This study explores a theoretical model of turnover intentions that included three proximal variables, job satisfaction, affective and continuance commitment, the distal variables of subordinate communication, horizontal communication, personal feedback, media quality, communication climate, supervisor communication, job-related communication, and management communication, with turnover intentions. A questionnaire was completed by 101 participants of a rental firm in New Zealand. Job satisfaction, affective commitment, continuance commitment, subordinate communication, horizontal communication, personal feedback, media quality, communication climate, supervisor communication, job-related communication, and management communication correlated with turnover intentions. The results of the mediated regression analysis indicated that job satisfaction, affective commitment, and continuance commitment are significant mediators between the eight distal (organisational communication) variables, with turnover intentions. This study highlights the necessity for managers to develop good quality relationships with their employees to improve the quality of their communication, to foster job satisfaction, affective commitment, and continuance commitment to reduce turnover intentions. The conclusion of this study discusses the practical implications for managers, and organisations and the direction for future research.

This study examines the impact of national culture on the content of corporate Web sites, and Web users’ attitudes and intentions toward culturally congruent or incongruent Web sites. In this work, culturally bipolar clusters based on Hofstede’s (1991) and Hall’s (1976) cultural dimensions are conceptualised. New Zealand and Korea are chosen as representatives of the respective bipolar clusters. This research utilises both content analysis and experimental research to provide deep insight into an area which has not yet been explored. Two studies are undertaken, Study One, focusing on the content analysis, examines how the use of visual communication and Web features differs between the two countries and between industry types. Study Two assesses Web users’ predispositions to respond favourably or unfavourably to the Web site. Web users’ perceptions, measured by experimental research with four culturally manipulated Web sites, are assumed to be the most suitable concept for studying the effectiveness of Web sites. Three ethnic groups are involved: Korean university students, New Zealand university students, and English-Korean bilingual university students. The findings reveal differences in the content of corporate Web sites from the two countries. However, these results do not support the findings of extant research. The results show that the corporate Web sites studied can be distinguished not only by the two national cultures, but also by other significant factors such as a company’s characteristics, its online presence strategy, national broadband infrastructure, and unique Internet culture. Additionally, the segment of young adults shows a convergence of cultural value systems which can be attributed to the fact that young adults in both countries have similar perceptions toward corporate Web sites regardless of their nationalities. Language structure and local terminology on the Web sites, however, are still important. This study contributes to knowledge by providing critical insights into the effectiveness and cultural congruence of Web sites. The results will benefit both academics and practitioners.

本研究主要在探討組織中的各項報酬與工作意願的關係。在本研究中將工作意願分為兩種：(1)工作意願低落：即員工僅有一般的、基本的工作行為。(2)高工作意願：指員工除了基本的工作行為外，常有額外的工作行為。 　　作者認為，在多數的組織當中，如果多數員工都認為每天只要例行地達到工作最低標準即可的話，那麼這個組織一定無法運作的很好。因此，組織必須找出方法激勵員工，使其從事於額外的工作行為，而不只是達到工作的最低標準就好。基於上述理由，本研究的目的有三：(1)各項報酬的滿足對於員工決定努力工作（高工作意願）的重要性為何？(2)各項報酬的不滿足對於員工決定不盡全力努力（工作意願低落）的重要性為何？(3)瞭解報酬與員工工作意願的關係，是否會因不同的人格特質、人口變項而有所差異。本研究採問卷調查法，研究對象為行政院、考試院所屬機關人員，再經Sps sx統計分析後，研究結果發現：（一）在影響高工作意願方面，受試者認為，各項報酬的滿足，對其決定努力工作的重要性依次為：自我實現、升遷與薪水、工作本身、內在的尊榮、組織環境與制度、外在的尊榮。（二）在影響工作意願低落方面，受試者認為，各項報酬的不滿足對其決定不盡全力努力工作的重要性依次為：考績與升遷、自我實現及工作本身、環境制度與薪水、內在的尊榮與進修機會、外在的尊榮。（三）人格特質、性別、年齡、教育程度、職位、薪資與〝報酬及工作意願關係〞間有關聯性存在。婚姻狀況、子女數目、工作性質、年資與〝報酬及工作意願關係〞間無關聯性存在。最後，綜合前述研究結果，加以討論，並就理論與實務應用提出建議。

Prenant acte de la crise des représentations liées à la « graphosphère » et de la montée en puissance des représentations multimédia, constatant l'émergence de l'informatique temps réel dans les arts de la scène, nous avons mené notre recherche depuis plusieurs années sur le thème de la médiation des technologies de l'information et de la communication dans l'écriture des spectacles vivants (théâtre et opéra, principalement), et leur recréation par les spectateurs. Notre perspective est la conception d'environnements informatiques pour la création artistique scénique et sa réception, destinés à trois communautés d'utilisateurs : les créateurs d'œuvres, les performers sur scène, et le public au sens large.<br />Dans la conduite de notre recherche, nous avons exploré trois pistes, chacune adossée à une étude de cas sur un spectacle professionnel représenté sur scène :<br />− Les environnements virtuels informés, pour permettre l'émergence de nouvelles modalités de mise en scène, au-delà du déploiement classique d'ontologies de personnages et de situations.<br />− Les collections numériques, entre semblance et contiguïté, au service de créations ouvertes, que le performer comme le visiteur peut réagencer en les parcourant.<br />− Les environnements d'assistants virtuels de performer et metteur en scène, à base de collections numériques et de logique floue, qui se positionnent dans les processus de formulation d'intentions de leurs utilisateurs.<br />L'ensemble de ces travaux ouvre à un programme de recherches autour de l'assistance aux concepteurs, aux interprètes et aux spectateurs des productions artistiques, en travaillant sur les situations d'intervention : le plateau et plus seulement l'ordinateur en tant qu'environnement de prescription pour les concepteurs ; les espaces de training et plus seulement la scène pour les performers ; enfin, l'espace du spectateur n'est plus seulement la salle de concert, mais des lieux non-scéniques comme le musée, et des terminaux comme l'ordinateur individuel ou le téléphone portable.

L'engagement dans la création d'entreprise est un évènement rare et tardif chez les ingénieurs français. Pour changer cette situation et former davantage des ingénieurs-entrepreneurs, nous étudions l'impact de la formation dans une grande école d'ingénieurs en France. La problématique s'inscrit dans le cadre théorique du comportement planifié complété par la théorie de la carrière entrepreneuriale et la notion d'esprit d'entreprendre. Nous avons suivi une approche longitudinale afin d'étudier l'évolution des intentions et de la construction des identités professionnelles ainsi que les comportements observables associés au cours de leur formation. La thèse s'appuie sur un questionnaire posé chaque année au cours du curriculum et des entretiens semi-directifs en fin de cursus auprès des élèves ingénieurs. Elle aboutit à l'identification de plusieurs identités professionnelles d'ingénieurs (ingénieur technique, manager, entrepreneur) et la caractérisation de la trajectoire de l'intention qui mène au choix de carrière entrepreneuriale. L'impact des facteurs socioculturels, scolaires et extrascolaires sur la trajectoire de l'intention a été modélisé. Il permet d'expliquer la construction de chaque identité professionnelle

<p>The respondents can be classified into 3 groups as follows,</p><p>users 47%, non users 37%, non awareness customers 16%.</p><p>We found that the group of users perceived more positive</p><p>toward Bualuang ibanking than the group of non users in four</p><p>aspects, relatively advantage, complexity, compability and</p><p>observability, while, trialability was not perceived as a</p><p>significant attribute facilitating the use of Bualuang ibanking.</p><p>However, in some circumstances, such as, time processing,</p><p>mental effort, frustrating, privacy and security, the attitude</p><p>toward these circumstances is positive but not divergent</p><p>between these two groups. For the non awareness customers,</p><p>there are 58% of them preferred adopting this technology in</p><p>the future and the most frequently selective duration that they</p><p>will adopt this technology is within one month.</p>

<p>This paper treats George Dickies institutional theory of how to define art. Some alternative theories and their originators are also introduced. According to Dickie something is art because it has been created against a background of an already existing artworld. Dickie has formulated his theory in two different versions, ”the earlier” and ”the later”, which differ somewhat in their design. Both versions is presented and discussed in this paper.</p>

<p>This study focuses on undergraduates in Shanghai and aims to generate some practical implications on how to improve the entrepreneurial environment by enhancing undergraduates’ entrepreneurial intentions. The authors initiated an analytical model with support from the GEM conceptual model and Krueger’s intention model (2000) to carry on an investigation among local undergraduates. The data reflects an actuality of undergraduates’ entrepreneurial intention. On the other hand, by the correlation analysis, undergraduates’ preferences upon different aspects of entrepreneurial environment are filtered out. Finally, practical implications are given through two aspects. One is divisions of respondents by their different grades of entrepreneurial intentions; the preferences from the higher intentioned group will firstly be suggested to improve. The other one is based on the comparison between undergraduates’ valuation and experts’ measurement on the entrepreneurial environment.</p><p>In conclusion, the study reflects that the analytical model is applicable to undergraduates in Shanghai. To enhance undergraduates’ entrepreneurial intention, it is highly recommended by the authors to improve entrepreneurial environment through more attention to the feasibility of technology transfer, sufficient government programs for new firms, the effectiveness of technological region, and government projects.</p>

Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

During the last decade, dramatic changes have been experienced in workplaces because of technological growth, globalisation, ever increasing competitive markets, changing industrial relation laws and better management skills (Cappelli, 1999). Amidst this change, the biggest issue is for organisations to gain dedication from their employees. Maslach et al (2001) explains that the impact of the changing world of work is perhaps most evident in changes in the psychological contract. Employees are expected to give more in terms of time, effort, skills and flexibility, whereas they receive less in terms of lifetime employment and job security. In security companies, the employer obligations and employee obligations also went through a process of change. Crime has become a very serious concern in South Africa. In Gauteng, crime has increased with 69,2% (SAP Statistics, 2005) from 1994 to 2004. Because of crime, many independent security companies were formed to help prevent crime, working together with the South African Police Force. A lack of research exists regarding employees' work outcomes like job insecurity, organisational commitment and intention to quit associated with the psychological contract within a service company. The objectives of this study are to investigate the relationship between employer obligations, employee obligations, job insecurity, organisational commitment and intention to quit of employees (N=217) in a service (security) company. A cross - sectional design was used. Constructs were measured by means of an employer obligations questionnaire, employee obligations questionnaire, job insecurity questionnaire, organisational commitment questionnaire and intention to quit questionnaire. The research method for each of the two articles consists of a brief literature review and an empirical study. Exploratory factor analysis, as well as Cronbach alpha coefficients are computed to access the reliability and validity of the different measurement instruments. Descriptive statistics are used to analyse data and Pearson product moment correlation coefficients, as well as regression analysis were used to examine the relationship between the constructs employed in this research. Significant differences are found between various biographical groups and the scores of the psychological contract (employer obligations scale and employee obligations scale), the job insecurity scale, the organisational commitment scale and the intention to quit scale. Conclusions are made, limitations of the current research are discussed and recommendations for future research are put forward. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Sociology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2009.