Motives for alcohol use are associated with distinct antecedents and consequences. Drinking alcohol to cope with negative affect is consistently associated with the most problematic patterns of use. Interventions targeting drinking to cope are needed. This randomized controlled treatment trial evaluated the impact of a brief coping motive feedback-based intervention on motives and problematic outcomes associated with drinking. In addition, a more comprehensive model of the antecedents and consequences of drinking to cope was tested. The study randomized 170 participants to receive either a brief Standard Feedback Condition (SFC; n = 83) or a Motives Feedback Condition (MFC; n = 87) that added education and feedback on drinking to cope as well as alternate coping strategies. Significant reductions in drinking to cope with depression were greater in the MFC at the 2-month follow-up, but the intervention's effect on drinking to cope with anxiety did not reach conventional levels of statistical significance. Significant reductions in drinking and negative consequences were observed but did not differ significantly by condition. Change in coping with depression motives mediated the effect of the intervention on outcomes of drinking and negative consequences. Partial support was found for a structural model linking antecedents of use, coping motives, and consequences associated with substance use. This study is a promising new direction in motives research, providing support for brief interventions incorporating motives-related feedback and for furthering our understanding of the origins and consequences of drinking to cope with negative affect. / Ph. D.

It has been established that specific implicit motive profiles predict job performance and career progression. However, it has not been a topic of examination to distinguish the role implicit motives play in developing certain leadership behaviors that, in turn, lead to job performance and success. My hypotheses were that, firstly, the ownership structure of organizations will play a distinct role in establishing the implicit motives that lead to managerial progression and, secondly, implicit motives will better predict long-term (general) leadership behaviors whereas explicit motives will better predict situation-specific leadership behaviors. In Study 1 the effects of three types of organizations as well as the effects of executive level/responsibility on the implicit motive profiles of managers were assessed. The types of organizations were family-owned and -led, foreign-owned and family-led, as well as publicly-owned and -led after previous family ownership. Data collection took place between the years 2004 and 2010. It could be demonstrated that an organization's ownership structure was significantly correlated with the implicit motives of managers, while executive level/responsibility was not. In Study 2 implicit and explicit motives were tested as predictors of competency scores in three separate cases. Case 1 consisted of data from one pharmaceutical company based in Spain; Case 2 encompassed data from 13 different companies in several industries and countries; and Case 3 included data for one global services and technology company with headquarters in the US. Data were collected between the years 2002 and 2010. The results yielded were inconsistent across cases. Unexpectedly, both implicit and explicit motives were predictive of competency scores. Beside the main effects, interaction effects of implicit motives and congruity between implicit and explicit motives were considered. I also included implicit motives of the CEO, as scored in the letter to the shareholder, as well as the congruence of manager implicit motives with CEO implicit motives into these analyses. Effects of these variables were also inconsistent across cases. Study 3 extended previous investigations to explore the effects of implicit and explicit motives as well as leadership styles on organizational climate. Organizational climate was observed from two perspectives: actual climate as perceived by subordinates and ideal climate as desired by managers. Based on management data collected in the years 2000 through 2008 for four companies in the agriculture, mining, telecommunications and transportation sectors, findings indicated that only leadership styles consistently accounted for changes in organizational climate. However, ideal desired climate could also be partially explained by managers’ explicit motives in some cases. As expected, implicit motives did not predict organizational climate in any of the analyses.

Background. Globalization and growing concerns for good governance and effectivenessput emphasis on addressing cross-border challenges to which single public organizationsor private companies face barriers. Transnational public-private partnerships (PPPs) areincreasingly used to bring multi-actor and cross-sector solutions to global issues rangingfrom economic development to environmental sustainability to social policies. As privateand public actors participating in transnational PPPs are guided by their own motives thatsignificantly differ from each other, they might enter into conflict with those of thecollaborating sector. Moreover, attention paid by private and public actors to sustainingtheir own identities and fulfilling their own motives might lead to a situation when actorswould be more oriented to achieving their specific goals that are not closely related to thepurposes of partnerships. Partners should consider possible impacts of their decisions onthe overall purpose of partnership in order to not undermine the ability to deliver theexpected results and services.Purpose. The purpose of this study is to investigate the motives of private actors forparticipating in short-term transnational PPPs and their influence on the achievement ofpurposes of such partnerships.Hypotheses. Based on the literature review, three research hypotheses are formulated: 1.Private actors participating in short-term transnational PPPs are guided by financialmotives to the least extent. 2. The specific motives of private actors differ considerablydepending on which type of short-term transnational PPPs they participate in. 3. Themotives of private actors except from financial motives have a positive influence on theachievement of purposes of short-term transnational PPPs.Method: Primary data have been gathered through a questionnaire-based surveyconducted among private companies participating in North Sea Region and CentralEurope programmes within INTERREG B - initiative for transnational cooperation.Empirical data have been analyzed using statistical methods such as factor analysis andmultiple regression analysis.Conclusion. By examining the underlying structure through factor analysis, the motivesof private actors have been divided into four groups such as financial, market-related,capacity building and social and political motives. According to the results of the analysis,private actors participating in short-term transnational PPPs consider financial motives asless important than capacity building, social and political and market-related motives.ivComparisons of the most important motives indicated by private actors have not detectedconsiderable differences depending on the types of PPPs. As identified through regressionanalysis, the influence of capacity building and market-related motives of private actors onthe achievement of overall purpose of partnership is positive, while their financial motivesaffect negatively the result of short-term transnational PPPs.

China is one of the largest outward foreign-direct-investors (OFDIs) and is rapidly internationalising. There are numerous studies about the internationalisation of Chinese MNCs, in particular their development, determinants, motivations and performance. Many scholars in international business argue that one of the major reasons for firms from emerging markets such as China to invest in developed economies is to assimilate new knowledge and resources; exploring learning by Chinese MNCs in the developed countries is therefore significant. However, there is little research about Chinese MNCs learning abroad and even fewer studies on the processes of learning. This thesis analyses these processes and the motivations of Chinese OFDI in the UK and explores how their subsidiaries learn, exploit knowledge, develop capabilities, and how they transfer knowledge and capabilities to the headquarters (HQs). In order to explore the learning of Chinese subsidiaries in the UK, it is crucial to understand the nature and motives of their OFDI to ensure the existence of learning in these firms. This dataset includes the largest survey (30 respondents) of Chinese subsidiaries in the UK and qualitative interviews with 40 employees in 15 subsidiaries and seven HQs of Chinese MNCs. Based on the resource-based view of the firm, absorptive capacity, knowledge transfer and Andersson, Forsgren and Holm’s (2001) processes of capabilities development in a MNC, a conceptual framework is developed, which guides data collection and analysis: this is then revised, based upon the study’s findings. This new framework suggests a unique process of capabilities development within a Chinese subsidiary and their HQs, two different learning circles. The longer learning circle presents Chinese subsidiaries exploiting new knowledge to develop capabilities and transfer the new capabilities to the HQs. The shorter learning circle shows Chinese subsidiaries sometimes transferring unexploited information and knowledge to the HQs. Whilst HQs develop capabilities through directly absorbing new knowledge created by subsidiaries, HQs also inhibit subsidiaries from collecting knowledge useful in developing new capabilities. Therefore, the learning and knowledge transfer in the subsidiaries is mainly based on the HQs’ interests and requests; thus under-utilising the absorptive capacity of subsidiaries. There are other important findings. The scope of learning in subsidiaries is restricted by the scope of their operations, especially in human resources, sales and marketing. There is also dissonance between the intent to learn and the actions of learning, which arises from the majority of these Chinese MNCs not having formal and systematic approaches towards learning, knowledge exploitation and knowledge transfer.

Reconciliation is generally studied from the perspective of how the process affects the individual. This study on the contrary, seeks to explain how the individual expectation of the process affects its outcome by investigating the relationship between motives to participate and the outcome of acceptance for your former adversary. A research gap has been identified in studying individual motives for participating in reconciliation processes between social factors as a facilitator for reconciliation and the actual joining of a process. Studying this gap has resulted in support for the hypothesis that individuals with the motive to tell the truth in a process experience high levels of acceptance towards their former adversaries, compared to individuals who participate in a process with the motive of holding the other party accountable for past sufferings. Using the method of in-depth interviews in Cambodia and thematic analysis reveals the main finding that acceptance is facilitated by the mechanisms of acknowledgment and understanding of the other party in combination with active interaction between the parties. This study presents three main recommendations for future ideas and reconciling establishments.

The general aim of this thesis was to examine risk gambling in the general population from a psychological perspective. This was done in three studies targeting personality, risky alcohol habits and gambling motives, respectively. Initially, 19 530 randomly assigned Swedish citizens were screened for problem gambling via telephone using the two questions in the Lie/Bet questionnaire. This sample constitutes the basis for one of the studies in the thesis. For the other studies, individuals answering yes to one of the questions in the Lie/Bet questionnaire and agreeing to participate further were sent a postal questionnaire. The questionnaire included questions about gambling, personality and gambling motives.   Some of the main results showed that: Negative consequences of gambling were associated with higher levels of impulsivity and negative affectivity. Risk gamblers reported lower levels of negative affectivity compared to the general population. Compared to non-risk gamblers, twice as many of the risk gamblers reported weekly binge drinking during the past 12 months. This association, however, seemed to be explained by shared demographic characteristics, rather than by the risk gambling causing binge drinking. High risk gamblers more often reported that they gambled for the challenge and for coping reasons, compared to low risk gamblers. High risk gamblers had overall stronger motives for gambling. The results also indicated that the level of risk gambling was highly intertwined with gambling motives and could explain some differences in gambling motives between, for example, women/men and younger/older gamblers. One of the focal points in the discussion was that higher levels of negative affectivity may be a cause of elevated problems rather than a cause of risk gambling. Another issue discussed was that the level of risk- /problem gambling may be important to consider when comparing gambling motives across subgroups of gamblers.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Human Ecology-Personal Financial Planning / Maurice M. MacDonald / The 2016 Survey of Consumer Finances was used to investigate the impact of scarcity on the savings motives and debt of middle-class, non-retired households. This project adds to financial planning literature by incorporating previously unobserved variables, financial and time scarcity, in financial decision-making. Its use of the scarcity lens has also provided new insights for serving the middle-class with financial planning. Middle-class household decision-making was impacted by financial and time scarcity. Objective financial scarcity was related to increased odds of saving for basic needs and negatively related to saving for retirement. Objective financial scarcity was negatively associated with household debt, which can be attributed to credit constraints lenders want. Subjective financial scarcity was negatively associated with saving for retirement and at the same time positively associated with saving for esteem or luxury. Objective time scarcity was positively related to higher levels of household debt. Subjective time scarcity had a significant but mixed relationship with household debt. Financial planners and financial counselors working with the middle-class should consider the impact of scarcity for managing debt and shaping goals that will influence saving for retirement.

The foreign aid sector is expanding each year, distributing hundreds of billions of USD per year to the least developed countries of the world. Meanwhile, extensive research has found that aid is not an efficient way to stimulate economic growth in the recipients. Neither is it an effective way to increase long-term sustainable development. While a major debate is going on regarding what actions can be taken to increase the efficiency of foreign aid, a parallel discussion is going on regarding whether the motives of the donor countries are complicit in making the aid inefficient. This thesis examines the contemporary discourse on motives behind foreign aid allocation and puts together an analytical framework for distinguishing between humanitarian, developmental and strategical motives. This framework is used to interpret the results of an empirical study covering two groups of donors; five donors that have previously been found to prioritize their own interests over those of the recipients, and five donors with a more altruistic profile within the literature on the topic. The results of this study corroborate those findings, while emphasizing the impact of colonial- and regional ties for both groups of donors.

No description available.

Artists’ books extend the limits of the conventional book. They take liberties with its form, content and configuration; they include subjects that might be considered insignificant, risqué, abstract or obscure. Their print run is too limited for ordinary publishing and marketing procedures. This thesis engages with the artists’ book in terms of its various moods as suggested by the bodily humours of Hippocrates and Galen. It argues that humour (in its embodied sense) takes many forms in the artists’ book: from the angry, the despairing or the melancholic to the comic or the joyful. In building a foundation for this approach to the artists’ book the thesis also connects with crucial moments in the evolution of twentieth century conceptual thought about art. Chapter One introduces the idea of humour as a strategy used by book artists to negotiate an art world in which the aesthetic canon is under scrutiny. Up to this point a characteristic feature of this negotiation has been a search for a consistent definition of artists’ book. My concerns are not so much with a fetishization of the book in a digitally challenging age, but, rather with the focus on the artists’ book’s ironic techniques that are employed to oversee the nature of the form relative to changes in its context, both technological and cultural. In the second chapter, I connect the artists’ book to some of its experimental origins within the literature of humour. I discuss a number of artists’ books that exemplify the sharpness of wit, the use of irony, the depth of melancholy and the place of nonsense among other forms within the spectrum of humorous possibility. The “anatomy” of humour is dissected in the third chapter, according to the way in which it embodies the creative process. The concepts of appropriation and détournement are basic tools, for the collection of subject matter. Every one of the books discussed use “wit” to carve a direct channel to the core of the idea it expresses. The diverse manifestations of irony enable the artists’ book in its various guises to mislead, riddle, surprise and seduce its reader. “Nonsense” keeps rationality honest by arguing a case for a productive form of “uselessness” that reflects upon an art world burdened by the weight of “usefulness” and overproduction. The fourth chapter examines a number of artists’ books and writers who, in various ways tap the rich field of the mundane: here is a source that like a compost heap, nurtures and produces those species of humorous surprise that also rejuvenate. The fifth chapter looks at larger aspects of the world, which shape our consciousness through spectacular images and the media. How these pressures permeate and influence the creative activities of the book artist is mapped in Chapter Six, which examines the shared internal space of the reader and the creator of the artwork. This internal space is the workshop of the book artist. Here the tactics are honed and the dynamics of the exterior world are in effect moulded and shaped into the subject matter and forms of artists’ books. In a culture in which “success” is commensurate with the accumulation of wealth, to be unsuccessful is to belong to an under-class, to be invisible. Chapter Seven makes use of an ironic sense of failure as a strategy to support the main objective of the thesis, which is to test the limits for the possibility of an art practice that continues to thrive as it ducks and weaves its way through and under the radar of contemporary cultural conditions. It argues a case for a fugitive practice that even as it is on the move is congruent, and in its selfreflexivity, accountable for its political and aesthetic stance. There has been a considerable resurgence of interest in the artists’ book since the late twentieth century with an increase in small press publications, the development of significant public and private collections of artists’ books and a growing body of critical commentary on them. Digital technology and desk top publishing have enabled many artists to produce books rapidly, cheaply and with qualities ranging in quality from the photocopy through to slick high-end productions. From the 1970s until the present, however, the commentary on artists’ books has been preoccupied with a search for a definition of the genre. Underpinning this endeavour has been a yearning for “consecration” (in Pierre Bourdieu’s sense) where acceptance would elevate the artists’ book to the same level as the “legitimate” art forms – painting, sculpture, photography and the finely crafted art object. By contrast, this thesis considers the artists’ book as an alternative art form and explores its ability to evade the constraints of consecration, to remain fresh and mischievous in creative and subversive ways / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)