The present study set out to examine the role of learning and performance goal orientation on goal setting and self-efficacy. More specially, the present study attempted to verify the results of the effects of learning goal orientation and to clarify the role of performance goal orientation. In addition, the role of self-efficacy and the possibility of an interaction between learning goal orientation and performance goal orientation were also examined. While the present study did not find a significant impact of dispositional goal orientation on any motivational variables examined, relatively strong support was found for the impact of situational learning and performance goal orientation on both goal choice and self-efficacy. As expected, learning goal orientation was a predictor of goal choice and self-efficacy, in that individuals who display a strong learning goal orientation set higher goals and demonstrate increased levels of self-efficacy. Contrary to past research, performance goal orientation was found to be an extremely strong, positive predictor of both goal choice and self-efficacy. The presence of this positive relationship could indicate the possibility of a potential task moderator. Although strong support was found for the independent effects of goal orientation on goal choice and self-efficacy, partial mediation by self-efficacy of learning goal orientation and goal choice was not found. Similarly, the results obtained in the present study did not provide evidence of an interaction between the two goal orientation dimensions in predicting either goal choice or self-efficacy. Taken as a whole, the present study does provide support for the importance of learning and performance goal orientation in the formation of self-set goals and one's level of self-efficacy. / Master of Science

The Sunset is a natural phenomenon that occurs every single day. Arguably, the sunset is one of the most romanticized natural event in all forms of art. In this wider context, the hypothesis posits architecture as an instrument to amplify specific visible aspects of the setting sun. The guidance for development relies on deconstructing and intensifying a specific spatial condition that interacts with effect the rays of the evening sun. Set in focus are three particular elements of the sunset, color, light, view and the subsequent darkness. In this architectural array, the chosen aspects of sunset are awarded a specific presence in their dedicated spaces. The spaces presenting those specific aspects of the sunset are organized as a sequence in the architectural construct of a long tunnel-like pathway. A culminating moment of totality emerges after the encounter of the specific aspects. / Master of Architecture / The Sunset is a natural phenomenon that occurs every single day. Arguably, the sunset is one of the most romanticized natural event in all forms of art. In this wider context, the hypothesis posits architecture as an instrument to amplify specific visible aspects of the setting sun. The guidance for development relies on deconstructing and intensifying a specific spatial condition that interacts with effect the rays of the evening sun. Set in focus are three particular elements of the sunset, color, light, view and the subsequent darkness. In this architecturalarray, the chosen aspects of sunset are awarded a specific presence in their dedicated spaces. The spaces presenting those specific aspects of the sunset are organized as a sequence in the architectural construct of a long tunnel-like pathway. A culminating moment of totality emerges after the encounter of the specific aspects.

No description available.

This thesis empirically investigates the impact of an individual’s dominant independent self-construal, interdependent self-construal, cosmopolitan and local orientation on the effect of the four self-congruity types (actual, ideal, social, ideal social) on brand attitude. A widely used practice among marketers focuses on communicating the notion that using their brands will bring consumers closer to how they would like to see themselves, their ideal self-concept (e.g. being a slim person like the models in the ads), instead of how they actually see themselves, their actual self-concept. However, recent research shows that there is no “universality” of a superior self-congruity effect. Specifically, individual-level characteristics (e.g. public self-consciousness) determine whether actual or ideal self-congruity impacts brand perceptions more strongly (Malär et al., 2011). This study extends that research by considering (a) all four self-congruity types and (b) additional individual-level characteristics (independent and interdependent self-construal, cosmopolitan and local orientation), which are valuable for segmenting consumer markets within and across countries. Survey data from a non-student sample were collected in two countries (the US and India). After performing data cleaning procedures, over 800 usable responses in each country were analysed with the use of PLS-SEM. The findings show that, as expected, these individual-level characteristics have an impact in regard to which of the four self-congruity types has the strongest effect on brand attitude. For instance, for individuals with a local orientation or interdependent self-construal, actual self-congruity has the strongest effect on brand attitude. These findings extend self-congruity theory by considering how an individual’s dominant independent and interdependent self-construal, cosmopolitan and local orientation impact the effect of the four self-congruity types on brand attitude. Moreover, the findings offer marketers insights into which self-concept type they should try to match with their brand communications when targeting these specific consumer groups. Details on the contributions as well as managerial implications are presented.

This dissertation consists of two largely stand-alone chapters. The first chapter presents a goal-activation theory of the antecedents of advice taking. I propose that three separate categories of goals - decision quality, social standing, and emotional well-being - influence receptivity to advice. Decision quality goals increase striving toward a good outcome in the decision for which the advice was given. Social standing goals focus attention on the social effects of the act of taking or rejecting the advice. Emotional well-being goals are related to establishing or maintaining a desired affective state. Each of these goals can be activated by attributes of the situation, advice, advisee, and advisor. Because they increase striving toward different ends, the goals direct attention to disparate advice-related cues and affect the evaluation of those cues. This results in different responses to advice. At the current time, nearly all research on advice taking has addressed decision quality goals and related cues. By presenting this theory, I hope to increase interest in a wider set of antecedents of advice taking. The second chapter reports a series of studies testing hypotheses derived from the theory presented in the first chapter. Specifically, I contrast the effects of an advisor's relative expertise to effects of the advisor's relative hierarchical position on advice taking. I hypothesize that the effects of expertise are driven by decision quality goals, while the effects of relative hierarchical position relate to social standing goals. I further hypothesize that advisees' conceptions of appropriate leader-follower relations (specifically, follower co-production role orientation; Carsten & Uhl-Bien, 2012) activate social standing goals, but not decision quality goals. Lastly, I propose that outcome accountability increases attention to decision quality goals and reduces attention to social standing goals.

This research explores the management problem of how individuals can influence the development of a strategic orientation within a firm. A market orientation strategy builds upon three dimensions: the organisation-wide acquisition, dissemination, and co-ordination of market intelligence (Jaworski & Kohli, 1993). Such management of market-based information requires a set of distinct dynamic capabilities or routines. Empirical research about the association between market orientation and performance shows that firms that develop these capabilities improve both their organisational and financial performance (Gray, Buchanan, & Mallon, 2003). This research attempts to understand the circumstances that prompt employees in all areas of an organisation to become accountable for the implementation of a market-oriented strategy. To date, studies have inadequately measured individual contribution to the market orientation of a firm and do not understand each employee's personal responsibility and willingness to act in a market-oriented way. In response, this thesis developed a dynamic, multi-dimensional scale of individual market-oriented behaviour. First-stage research used focus groups and extant literature to construct a measure of individual market orientation. Then, a cross-section of financial services employees completed a web-based survey measuring individual market-oriented behaviour and individual and interpersonal antecedents. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the presence of a single latent construct with three dimensions. Study results identified a strong and significant relationship between the performance of market-oriented behaviours and the perception of a high-quality fulfilled psychological contract with the employer. Employees who were agile learners and frequently in contact with customers were also more likely to practice market-oriented behaviours.

D.Phil. / Since the inception of democracy in 1994 the country’s educational system has radically changed as one reform rapidly succeeded another. The changing curriculum meant an end to the sole emphasis on academic achievement. Instead, the introduction of Life Orientation (LO) meant that schools had to be concerned with the development of the whole person, placing personal and individual needs in a social context to encourage acceptance of diversity and promote the quality of life for all. Whilst the transformation and curriculum changes have brought about a breakthrough in the education system, LO teachers in the Gauteng Province were presented with new challenges as they found themselves faced with multiple moral and emotional problems that learners brought to school and yet they were not professionally prepared for nor were they trained to deal with. Such problems brought about ambiguity and created confusion in their roles, raising personal and professional dilemmas such as their limited knowledge of the curriculum and specific tools and practice skills needed to teach Life Orientation meaningfully. It is in context of the above that I decided to conduct a study focusing on what should be entailed in the personal and professional development (PPD) of LO teachers in the Gauteng province. I also considered how their personal and professional experiences contributed to the meaningful teaching of LO. Furthermore, these experiences would be used to develop an Educational-Psychological Practice Framework for the PPD of LO teachers in the Gauteng Province. LO teachers and provincial coordinators in Gauteng were identified as study participants. A three-phased sequential explanatory mixed methods design was used in this study. Phase one of the study was quantitative in nature and data was collected using a questionnaire distributed to 154 LO teachers in the province. The main aim of this phase was to obtain descriptive data that would be used to enhance the qualitative data in phase two of the study. Of the total distribution, 130 questionnaires were returned and analysed using the SPSS software package. Synopsis vi In phase two of the study a qualitative approach was used with the aim of obtaining LO teachers’ experiences of their personal and professional development. Individual and focus group interviews were held with a total of 18 participants. In addition, two participants took part through creating collages. The study yielded eight themes namely: 1) LO teachers’ life experiences; 2) Attitudes towards LO; 3) LO curriculum delivery; 4) complex roles of LO teachers; 5) essential characteristics of LO teachers; 6) LO teachers’ needs; 7) dealing with challenging social issues; and finally, 8) support circle for LO teachers. In the third phase of the study an educational-psychological practice framework for the personal and professional development of LO teachers in the Gauteng Province was described. Empowerment and support were identified as key aspects of that should be used in the development of LO teachers in the Gauteng province. As such, the Life (L) Orientation (O) Teacher (T) Empowerment (E) and Support (S) practice framework was designed. Subsequently the framework was called the LOTES Practice Framework. The framework comprised of four interrelated systemic levels which relate to specific forms of empowerment and support for LO teachers at each level. Finally, to ensure successful implementation of this practice framework, key role-players for each level were identified and recommendations for the implementation were set out.

Climate change denial has been found to correlate with sociopolitical ideology. The general aim of the present thesis was to investigate this relation, and more specifically to 1) test the unique effects of intercorrelated ideological variables on denial, and 2) investigate the psychological underpinnings of the ideology-denial relation. This approach helps estimating what component of right-wing ideology better explains climate change denial; resistance to change (indexed by left-right/liberal-conservative political orientation, right-wing authoritarianism, and system justification), or acceptance of inequality (indexed by social dominance orientation [SDO]). In Paper I, SDO outperformed the effects of right-wing authoritarianism and political left-right orientation on denial (Study 1 and 2). Further, the SDO-denial relation was stable when denial scores were experimentally lowered by a newscast that communicated supportive evidence for climate change (Study 2). Thus, the following studies focused specifically on the SDO-denial relation by testing path models that also included other ideological variables (political conservatism, system justification, and endorsement of nature dominance), as well as personality variables (dominance, empathy, openness to experience, and anxiety avoidance) and/or gender. In Paper II, SDO and endorsement of nature dominance explained unique parts of climate change denial, and both of these variables mediated the effects of system justification and (low) empathy on denial. SDO mediated also the effect of dominance. In Paper III, focusing specifically on denial of human-induced climate change, SDO either partially or fully mediated the effects of political conservatism and gender across two cultural contexts (Brazil and Sweden). Additional analyses extended these results, by building on the model presented in Paper II. These analyses showed that SDO (and in some cases also political conservatism and endorsement of nature dominance) fully mediated the effects of gender and personality variables on denial, with one exception: Predisposition to avoid experiencing anxiety predicted denial directly, as well as through a link via general conservative ideology (system justification or political conservatism). In sum, the results indicate that denial is more strongly and consistently predicted by SDO than by the other included variables. Thus, endorsement of group-based inequality/hierarchies offers an important explanation for climate change denial.

The present study examined the impact of gender and sex-role orientation on therapy effectiveness. Previous research suggested that same-sex pairings and androgynous therapists would be most desirable. Interviewers (therapists) were 25 male and 15 female third-year doctoral psychology students, each interviewing a male and a female undergraduate student (client). Results did not support the hypothesis that gender and sex role were powerful predictors of therapy effectiveness. However, this study did find that therapist self-rated interpersonal competency and accurate self-perception predicted therapy effectiveness for female clients. Therapists' consistency in using various parameters (techniques) of therapy was related to client perceived effectiveness. Opposite-sex pairings were less likely to result in momentary feelings of discomfort during initial interviews.

Entre les années 1900 et les années 1940, la notion d’orientation professionnelle est construite à la confluence de trois champs : des patronages et des associations laïcs se préoccupent du placement des adolescents à la fin de l’école primaire ; des responsables éducatifs s’inquiètent de nombre limité d’apprentis ; enfin, les premiers psychologues proposent l’utilisation de tests pour l’affectation de la main-d’œuvre. Les années 1920 sont marquées par la création de nombreux offices. Soutenu par des milieux sociaux et professionnels très différents, le mouvement d’orientation professionnelle se professionnalise progressivement, en partie grâce à la création de l’Institut national d’orientation professionnelle (INOP) et d’associations professionnelles. Les années 1930 constituent un tournant. La montée du chômage et les besoins en main-d’œuvre qualifiée nécessitent une réorganisation du dispositif. / Between the 1900s and the 1940s, the concept of professional orientation is built at the confluence of three fields: lay of sponsorships and associations concerned with the placement youth at the end of primary school; education officials are concerned about limited number of apprentices; early psychologists propose the use of testing for the assignment of the labour force. The 1920s were marked by the creation of many offices. Supported by social and professional environments very different, the vocational guidance movement is professionalizes gradually, partly through the creation of the National Institute of vocational guidance (INOP) and professional associations. The 1930s constitute a turning point. The rise of unemployment and the skilled labour needs require a reorganization of the device.