The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the structure and antecedents of cruise passengers' loyalty. Specifically, the study examined the dimensionality of the loyalty construct. Moreover, the study investigated the utility of applying the Investment Model (Rusbult 1980, 1983) to reveal the psychological processes underlying loyalty formation. The study also attempted to, guided by the Investment Model, integrate the seemingly segregated findings of loyalty antecedents from marketing and leisure/tourism literature. Based on the Investment Model and other marketing and leisure/tourism studies on loyalty, a conceptual framework was established for this study. An online panel survey was conducted to examine this model. Subjects (N = 554) were online panelists who were repeat cruisers and who have cruised at least once in the past 12 months. In this study, loyalty was conceptualized as a four-dimensional construct: cognitive loyalty, affective loyalty, conative loyalty, and behavioral loyalty. Further, the first three components were postulated as three subdimensions of a higher order construct, attitudinal loyalty. However, this conceptualization was not supported by the data. Alternatively, post-hoc analyses revealed that attitudinal loyalty was a first-order one-dimensional construct, containing cognitve, affective, and conative components. Moreover, behavioral loyalty was positively and significantly influenced by attitudinal loyalty. In sum, this study supported the traditional two-dimensional conceptualization of loyalty, which argues that loyalty has an attitudinal and a behavioral component. Following the Investment Model, this dissertation suggested that satisfaction, quality of alternatives, and investment size were three critical antecedents of consumers' attitudinal loyalty. These theoretical relationships were supported by the present study, and collectively, the three predictors accounted for over 74 percent of the variance in attitudinal loyalty. Finally, this dissertation hypothesized that quality and value, two constructs related to loyalty, served as antecedents of satisfaction, with quality also leading to value. Results of the study supported all these hypotheses, and satisfaction was found to partially mediate the quality-attitudinal loyalty, and value-attitudinal loyalty relationships. Results of the present study provide important direction for the development of a holistic theoretical framework to explain the formation and structure of customers' brand loyalty.

Previous research indicates that there are a number of factors that contribute to one’s propensity to engage in cheating. The purpose of the current study was to explore trends in relationships, cheating, and attraction, and to determine the extent to which electronic media influences these. In a self-report survey of 265 participants (217 females; M age 20.9; SD 1.5), it was found that sociosexual orientation and impulsivity were related to past and current cheating, and increased quality of alternatives, diminished commitment and dissatisfaction were associated with current cheating. Impulsivity, quality of alternatives and diminished commitment were also found to be associated with electronic extradyadic intimacy. Finally, diminished commitment and increased perceived quality of alternatives were found to be associated with attraction to close cross-sex friends. Implications for research and clinical practice are discussed.

This study examined a model of the antecedents and outcomes of mentor commitment to workplace mentoring relationships. The proposed model was based on the investment model of commitment. A total of 180 pairs of mentors and their protégés completed surveys that assessed model constructs. Results indicated that mentor relationship satisfaction and investment size predict mentor commitment, whereas mentor quality of alternatives and perceptions of managerial support for mentoring do not predict mentor commitment. Additionally, mentor commitment is associated with information exchange behaviors engaged in by mentors and protégés. These findings suggest that commitment plays an important role in mentoring relationships, and the investment model provides a useful framework for future research on this topic.

To add to the tools currently available to combat income inequality in the United States an investment fund type is proposed, justified, described, and created using historical asset returns from 1960 to 2015. By focusing on two socio-economic indicators of poverty, inflation and unemployment rates, this fund, when marketed to investors who live near, at, or below the poverty line, seeks to increase returns during times of increased strain on the economies of the poor. Multiple hurdles are proposed and affirmatively answered to this end and a fund type and corresponding four factor model that realized hypothetical excess returns fitting the requirements of a successful investment strategy was developed and evaluated. With the increasing importance of socially responsible investment practices an investment bank who maintains a fund of this type could potentially see financial and reputational benefits.

The thesis focuses on the partial synthesis of investment strategies based on the theory of efficient markets and behavioral finance. Model of investment behavior consists of three parts - the Markowitz model of portfolio approach , De Bondt - Thaler model of re-building portfolio by capital gains in past and a model of short-term behavioral biases. Parameters of behavioral biases are determined arbitrarily and calibrated using correlation analysis for stock index DJIA and the particular stock title. The assembled model of short-term behavioral biases can explain only about 1 percent of changes in market prices of assets and regression analysis doesn't confirmed their statistical significance. Better results were found in a particular stock title than the stock index. The model of investment behavior has shown that without taking into account transaction costs Markowitz model was the most successful, but taking into account the costs De Bondt - Thaler model was more successful. The model of behavioral biases couldn't even overcome market benchmark, but in terms of risk the model was the least risky. The overall model of investment behavior also suggested the possibility of prediction of financial crisis, which could also be a space for further research in this area. The synthesis would also be appropriate to explore also by other methods such as simulation or real survey.

This thesis deals with design and implementation of an investment model, which applies methods of Post-modern portfolio theory. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) metaheuristic was used for portfolio optimization and the parameters were analyzed with several experiments. Johnsons SU distribution was used for estimation of future returns as it proved to be the best of analyzed distributions. The result is software application written in Python, which is tested for stability and performance of model in extreme situations.

<p>  </p> <p>This study explores reactions to and interactions online with political content posted by an interpersonal connection on social media. The concepts within this study are drawn from interpersonal, political, social media, and digital affordances literature. The theoretical foundation is built on the social identity model of deindividuation effects (SIDE), the investment model of relationship maintaining behavior, and the model of accommodation. Two research questions were asked regarding the impact of preexisting relationships and political identity on participant reactions to and interactions with political content posted on social media by an interpersonal connection. A qualitative method was used to answer the above questions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed using a thematic analysis and guided by sensitizing topics. Results show that participants did not often post or interact on social media and often chose to ignore or tolerate political content shared by an interpersonal connection. However, participants did note the potential impact of relational closeness and political identity on post-perception. These results indicate a possible shift in posting behavior despite the prevalence of online discourse. Overall, this study demonstrates the need for further research into user behavior on social media and how this impact their interactions with online connections and politics.</p>

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Research has shown that being in a romantic relationship has related negatively with work-family conflict. Using social exchange theory, the investment model, and role theory, this study examined the relationships among the dimensions of perceived partner support, romantic relationship interdependence, and work-family conflict. A sample of 192 adults in paid employment, currently involved in a romantic relationship, were recruited from SurveyMonkey Contribute. Study participants completed online a demographic survey, the revised Support in Intimate Relationships Rating Scale (SIRRS), the Investment Model Scale, and work-family conflict scales. Correlation analyses showed that work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict correlated negatively with commitment and positively with quality of alternatives as hypothesized. As hypothesized, regression analyses showed that quality of alternatives and informational support explained unique variance in work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict and that commitment explained unique variance in family-to-work conflict. PROCESS mediation analyses showed partial support for the hypothesis of mediation. Quality of alternatives and commitment mediated the relationships between esteem/emotional support and family-to-work conflict and instrumental/tangible support and family-to-work conflict. Quality of alternatives mediated the relationships between informational support and work-to-family conflict, informational support and family-to-work conflict, and instrumental/tangible support and work-to-family conflict. The findings contribute to positive social change by offering added knowledge about the occurrence of work-family issues in the lives of employees representing a large percentage of the workforce.

Funding is one of the most critical resources high potential technology startup (HPTS) ventures need to achieve success. Some startup founders lack access to capital, a critical resource for HPTS founders to create value for customers and capture value for their organizations. Capital constraints can hinder business performance, endanger growth and the ability to grow and scale into the global markets. This multiple case study explored the strategies HPTS firms used to access capital to grow and scale into global markets. Mishra's venture capital investment model and Blank's customer development model served as the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected from semistructured face-to-face interviews, direct observations, member checking, and a reflective journal. Participants were selected using a purposive sampling of 5 founders from the Silicon Valley of California, who were involved in equity finance decisions in the last 5 years. Yin's 5-step data analysis plan was used in the final data analysis. Eight themes emerged from the study: capital constraint; identification of potential investors; collaboration, guidance, and support; investment potential; investment thesis; measurement of success; passion and preparedness; and prevention of stock dilution. The findings of this study have implications for positive social change. HPTS ventures can use the study findings to gain approval of investment proposals and increase ventures that create value for customers and for the organizations.