Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Psychology / Patrick A. Knight / Over 50 years of research has supported the positive relationship between feedback and performance improvement. A recent meta-analysis suggests that feedback may not be beneficial for performance, and that it may actually be harmful for performance (Kluger & DeNisi, 1996). This study suggests that these inconsistencies exist because positive and negative feedback are treated like opposite sides of the same scale. In reality, positive and negative feedback are two very different types of information and should be treated differently. Current research examines feedback delivered interpersonally. When delivering feedback this way, positive feedback is often accepted while negative feedback is rejected. The current study states that alternate delivery methods may be better for the acceptance and use of negative feedback. It is suggested that negative feedback received directly from the task itself may be more accepted, more intrinsically motivating, and result in less negative emotion for receivers than negative feedback from interpersonal sources. Two hundred and two university students participated in a simple computer simulation task. They received feedback regarding their performance and then participated in the task a second time. Results revealed no differences between conditions in acceptance, possibly a result of task. When receiving negative feedback from the task, participants experienced greater intrinsic motivation than when receiving negative feedback from interpersonal sources. Finally, negative feedback from the task resulted in less negative emotion than negative feedback from interpersonal sources. By removing the interpersonal interaction, the task removes a great deal of negative emotion associated with the supervisor. This study revealed great potential for the task as a source of negative feedback. Although the workforce may not be ready for a full task-feedback system, it may serve as a good supplement for interpersonal feedback and worthy of future research in the field setting.

Mobbning på arbetsplatsen kan definieras som återkommande psykiska kränkningar, ofta riktade mot en person från en eller flera kolleger. Dessa handlingar sker frekvent och över en längre period. Konsekvenser till följd av mobbning är psykiska, psykosomatiska och sociala besvär. Olika mätmetoder kan ge upphov till skilda resultat och frekvenser för förekomsten av mobbning på arbetsplatsen. Ett korrekt mått på utsatthet för mobbning är viktigt för samhälle och organisation för att kunna anpassa resurser för att hantera problemet. Ett internationellt ofta använt verktyg för att mäta utsatthet för mobbning på arbetsplatsen är Negative Acts Questionnaire Revised (NAQ-R), som har dokumenterad validitet och visat på goda psykometriska egenskaper. Syftet med den aktuella studien var att översatta och validera NAQ-R till svenska samt att jämföra resultaten med tidigare valideringar. Ett urval på 133 personer besvarade en webbenkät med NAQ-R, skalor för arbetsbelastning, rollkonflikter samt hälsa. Ett antal analyser genomfördes för att testa reliabilitet, begreppsvaliditet, samband med variabler som tidigare visat sig ha ett samband med mobbning, samt faktorstruktur. Resultatet visade hög intern konsistens, begreppsvaliditet samt starka samband med arbetsbelastning och rollkonflikter vilka är faktorer som i tidigare forskning visats kunna leda till mobbning på arbetsplatsen. Resultatet visar också ett starkt samband med ohälsa som en konsekvens av mobbning vilket går i linje med tidigare forskning. Sammantaget tyder aktuell studie på att den svenska översättningen av NAQ-R (NAQ-R-S) är ett tillförlitligt och trovärdigt instrument för att mäta mobbning på arbetsplatsen.

Magister Artium - MA / English is the most widely spoken language in the world and for this reason it would be of advantage for everyone to learn it. This thesis reports on the language ideologies and attitudes of Francophone learners towards English in the Central Province of Cameroon, a central African country. It offers a critical examination of the different attitudes and motivations of Francophone learners towards English as a third language at secondary schools in the city of Yaoundé. It also presents the most important factors that appear to play a role in shaping their attitudes towards English, a language that many of the respondents appear to find hard to learn. Central to these factors are the prevailing language ideologies in Cameroon. / South Africa

A convertible bond (CB) is a hybrid security possessing the characteristics of both debt and equity. It gives the holder the right to convert the bond into a pre-specified number of shares (usually by the same issuer of the CB) until maturity of the bond, and may also contain additional features such as callability and putability. CB’s along with all hybrid securities are difficult to value due to their uncertain income stream. In this dissertation several convertible bond valuation models are suggested, but with particular attention to the calibration of the underlying inputs into the model and also by taking default risk into account, which is extremely important given the subordination of convertibles. The models range from the basic component models that decompose the CB into a straight bond and an exchange/call option; to more sophisticated ones consisting of stochastic interest rates, default risk, volatility structures, and even some exotics such as exchangeable and inflation-linked convertibles. An important aspect often missed by CB valuation models is the presence of negative convexity for extremely low share prices. As such a credit spread function dependent upon the underlying share price is introduced into the Tsiveriotis and Fernandes, and Hung and Wang models which improve upon the accuracy of the original models. Once a reliable model has been developed it becomes necessary to take advantage of convertible arbitrage trading strategies if they exist. The typical delta hedge, gamma hedge and option strategies that many convertible hedge funds employ are explained including the underlying risks with respect to the “Greeks”. Copyright / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Mathematics and Applied Mathematics / unrestricted

This dissertation provides three novel methodologies to the field of political science. In the first chapter, I describe how to make causal inferences in the face of dynamic strategies. Traditional causal inference methods assume that these dynamic decisions are made all at once, an assumption that forces a choice between omitted variable bias and post-treatment bias. I resolve this dilemma by adapting methods from biostatistics and use these methods to estimate the effectiveness of an inherently dynamic process: a candidate's decision to "go negative." Drawing on U.S. statewide elections (2000-2006), I find, in contrast to the previous literature, that negative advertising is an effective strategy for non-incumbents. In the second chapter, I develop a method for handling measurement error. Social scientists devote considerable effort to mitigating measurement error during data collection but then ignore the issue during analysis. Although many statistical methods have been proposed for reducing measurement error-induced biases, few have been widely used because implausible assumptions, high levels of model dependence, difficult computation, or inapplicability with multiple mismeasured variables. This chapter develops an easy-to-use alternative without these problems as a special case of extreme measurement error and corrects for both. In the final chapter, I introduce a model for detecting changepoints in the distribution of contributions data because it allows for overdispersion, a key feature of contributions data. While many extant changepoint models force researchers to choose the number of changepoint ex ante, the game-changers model incorporates a Dirichlet process prior in order to estimate the number of changepoints along with their location. I demonstrate the usefulness of the model in data from the 2012 Republican primary and the 2008 U.S. Senate elections. / Government

The South African Government, in the Budget Review of 2008, proposed to impose a 2c/kWh tax on the sale of electricity generated from non-renewable sources, to be collected at source by the producers/generators of electricity. This tax will create distortions in the South African economy. The research study aims to identify measures that can be taken to negate the negative competitiveness impact of the tax. In the first part of the study, we applied the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) model, which is coordinated by the Centre for Global Trade Analysis at Purdue University. The GTAP model is the pre-eminent modelling framework for the analysis of trade and environmental issues across countries. GTAP is a multi-region CGE model designed for comparative-static analysis of trade policy issues. Various versions were constructed and the closure was changed to reflect the South African reality more accurately. After the national as well as international economic and environmental impacts were analysed, we considered Border Tax Adjustments (BTAs) as a possible remedy to negate the negative competitiveness impact of the tax. Utilising theoretical Heckscher-Ohlin methodology, as well as the GTAP model, we showed that BTAs will not negate the adverse economic impact of an environmental tax. Instead, reversed BTAs, through gains of trade, could reverse the negative economic impact of an electricity generation tax, while enabling an economy to retain most of the environmental benefits of the tax. We also considered the impact of an integrated approach, consisting of an electricity generation tax and a demand side policy, on the welfare of households. To analyse this, we used the University of Pretoria General Equilibrium Model (UPGEM). The model was extended to reflect Equivalent Variation values and we updated the database to include import tariffs. It was then shown that reversed BTAs could be used to offset the regressiveness of the electricity generation tax. Policy implications from the study will be useful for macroeconomic policies, international trade negotiations and environmental policies to increase the welfare of society. / Thesis (DCom)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Economics / unrestricted

Women increasingly 'make the leap' into 'traditionally male' entrepreneurial ventures. This dissertation reviews relevant literature on what, how many, why and where women entrepreneurs in construction found their niche markets, which aspects make women unique, how poverty and unemployment hurt women and what entrepreneurial barriers women experience, comparing a developed (USA) and developing country (SA). A survey instrument was developed to test the constructs empirically and case studies illustrate the models of success. Given the excellent results of the Cronbach Alpha and Factor Analysis, the instrument developed proved to be reliable and valid and could be used for similar studies. The case- and empirical studies analyse women ownership attitudes and push and pull factors to determine why women became entrepreneurs in construction. The main findings are: 1. Women took up their rightful place as construction entrepreneurs. It is a myth that they are only labourers. 2. Differences and similarities; SA-USA: In the USA women are mostly ‘Corporate Entrepreneurs’ and in SA they are mainly ‘Entrepreneurs’. They agree that their associations are successful in promoting women in construction. 3. Positive pull factors are the main reason why women are in construction as they demonstrate entrepreneurial behaviour and characteristics. 4. Negative push factors, e.g. “need to make a living” are a lesser reason. 5. Gender discrimination can become fatal barriers for successful women entrepreneurs. 6. The majority of respondents see themselves as successful and intent on developing key aspects of their businesses to expand their competitive edge. 7. SAWiC played a pioneering role in developing a database to prevent clients from justifying their non-compliance of the law in terms of non-availability of women entrepreneurs in construction. / Thesis (PhD (Entrepreneurship))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Business Management / unrestricted

The purpose of this research is to help people who have been hurt by bad leadership, and also to find out why they move from one church to the other. This is an undercover issue since in most cases the Pentecostal church family projects strength than weakness. This study deals with people who have been hurt by bad leadership that verbally attacks and curses them from the pulpit. The pulpit is already a position of power and if not handled rightly, it has negative ramification on the hearers. One of it is the mobility of membership, from one Assembly to the other in search for more understanding and encouraging atmosphere.This particular abuse of power has been a burning issue within some of the Pentecostal churches and has been overlooked and without any redress. Therefore this thesis attempts through pastoral care approach, to deal with these issues, that have affected some church members. The problem in the study has been extensively explained and a method of helping and healing those that are hurt is also projected substantially. The different types of leadership and leadership qualities are also tabulated and explained to enable an understanding that people deserve a better approach. Since the researcher has been in the church for a long time, and through observation has experienced how some people were verbally abused from the pulpit has motivated her to conduct a research. Specially, on how to care for those who are wounded in spirit, as she mentioned some of the members have been hurt for almost three decades, yet they are still looking for a church where they can be spiritually fulfilled. It is appropriate to make this valuable research in the field of practical theology as the generated knowledge, shall help the people to heal the hurts and stabilize. It is reasonable to surmise that when a miss-normal is perpetuated without any challenge it takes a toll and becomes a standard behaviour. This research refuses to remain silent and has exposed and projected a healing solution to the plight of members that the pulpit victimises whether consciously and unconsciously. The willingness of the interviewees in these case studies is also highly commended as it roots the studies in concrete realities and generates lessons that are based on real life research. Copyright / Dissertation (MA(Theol))--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

The increasing emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a serious threat to public health. Of particular concern are Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae or Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Some of these strains are resistant to a large number of antibiotics and thus our treatment options are rapidly declining. In addition to the increasing number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, a major problem is that many of the antibiotics at our disposal are ineffective against Gram-negative bacteria. This is partly due to the properties of the outer membrane (OM) which prevents efficient uptake. The overarching goal of this thesis was to investigate how the OM of the Gram-negative bacterium E. coli could be weakened to improve the activity of antibiotics. In the first two papers of my thesis (paper I + II), I investigated the periplasmic chaperone network which consists of the two parallel pathways SurA and Skp/DegP. This network is essential for the integrity of the OM and strains lacking either SurA or Skp are defective in the assembly of the OM, which results in an increased sensitivity towards vancomycin and other antimicrobials. We identified a novel component of the periplasmic chaperone network, namely YfgM, and showed that it operates in the same network as Skp and SurA/DegP. In particular, we demonstrated that deletion of YfgM in strains with either a ΔsurA or Δskp background further compromised the integrity of the OM, as evidenced by an increased sensitivity towards vancomycin. In the remaining two papers of my thesis (paper III + IV), the goal was to characterize small molecules that permeabilize the OM and thus could be used to improve the activity of antibiotics. Towards this goal, we performed a high-throughput screen and identified an inhibitor of the periplasmic chaperone LolA, namely MAC-13243, and showed that it can be used to permeabilize the OM of E. coli (paper III). We further demonstrated that MAC-13243 can be used to potentiate the activity of antibiotics which are normally ineffective against E. coli. In the last paper of my thesis (paper IV), we undertook a more specific approach and wanted to identify an inhibitor against the glycosyltransferase WaaG. This enzyme is involved in the synthesis of LPS and genetic inactivation of WaaG results in a defect in the OM, which leads to an increased sensitivity to various antibiotics. In this paper, we identified a small molecular fragment (compound L1) and showed that it can be used to inhibit the activity of WaaG in vitro. To summarize, this thesis provides novel insights into how the OM of the Gram-negative bacterium E. coli can be weakened by using small molecules. We believe that the two identified small molecules represent important first steps towards the design of more potent inhibitors that could be used in clinics to enhance the activity of antibiotics. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following paper was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 3: Manuscript.</p>

To address commonly cited organizational and personal outcomes in the nursing industry, it is important to identify factors that may mitigate the relationship between workplace stressors and strains such as turnover intentions, job satisfaction, burnout, and injuries. The purpose of the current study is to explore the role of trait resilience on the emotion-centered model of job stress in a sample of U.S. nurses. The study uses a multiwave design to examine the mitigating role of trait resilience on work strains in nurses. In a sample of 185 nurses and 97 multiwave pairs, resilience was found to be significantly related to job-related affect, turnover intentions, job satisfaction, emotional exhaustion, and personal accomplishment. Using multiple regression analyses, the relative effects of four common stressors affecting nurses were compared: interpersonal conflict at work, quantitative workload, emotional labor, and traumatic events. After accounting for the common workplace stressors that nurses experience, interpersonal conflict at work was the only significant predictor of emotional and behavioral strains among nurses. Moreover, resilience was found to moderate the relationship between interpersonal conflict at work and job-related negative affect such that nurses that were high on resilience reported lower job-related negative affect. Given these significant relationships, resilience in the nursing industry should be further explored, as well as the potential for resilience training in the health care sector.