Changes in South Africa's political and economic sphere demand the democratisation of the workplace, participation and empowerment of the work force. Flatter hierarchical structures, as a result of downsizing, enhance involvement but also demand that workers function in a more autonomous manner. The use of self-managing work teams has increased in response to these competitive challenges. Self-managing work teams are groups of employees who are fully responsible for a well-defined segment of finished work that delivers a product or a service to an internal or external customer. The functioning of self-managing work teams, in terms of the systems model, can be described as certain inputs that help the team to perform certain tasks and follow processes in order to achieve certain outputs. Inputs include the motivation, skills and personality factors of team members, while the tasks and processes refer to problem solving, conflict resolution, communication and decision making, planning, quality control, dividing of tasks, training and performance appraisal. These inputs and processes lead to outputs such as efficiency, productivity and quality of work life. To date empirical studies regarding self-managing work teams in South Africa focused on the readiness of organisations for implementing these teams. Little research has been done on characteristics of successful self-managed work group members. Findings regarding members of self-managing work teams elsewhere in the world couldn't uncritically be applied to South Africa, because of widely different circumstances. Research on dispositional factors such as sense of coherence, self-efficacy, locus of control and the big five personality dimensions could therefore help to identify predictors of effectiveness that can be validated in consecutive studies for selection purposes in a self-managing work team context in South Africa. The objective of the research was therefore to determine the relationship between dispositional characteristics of members of a self-managing work team and the effectiveness and quality of work life of these members. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The sample included members of self-managing work teams (N = 102) from a large chemical organisation and a financial institution in South Africa. The Orientation to Life Questionnaire, a Self-efficacy Scale, the Locus of Control Questionnaire and Personality Characteristics Inventory were used to measure the dispositional variables. Quality of work life (measured as consisting of satisfaction, commitment to the organisation and commitment to the team) and self-rated team member effectiveness were used as dependent variables. Descriptive statistics, Pearson and Spearman correlations, canonical correlations and structural equation modelling were used to analyse the data and investigate the relationships between the various dispositional characteristics quality of work life and effectiveness of the team members. The results showed practically significant positive relationships between sense of coherence, self-efficacy, autonomy, external locus of control and internal locus of control on the one hand, and quality of work life and effectiveness of the team members of self-managing work teams on the other hand. Of the big five personality dimensions only openness was associated with commitment to the team in terms of the quality of work life. Stability, extraversion and openness were associated with the self-rated effectiveness of the team members of self-managing work teams. The structural equation modelling showed that there is a positive path from the dispositional characteristics to the satisfaction, commitment and self-rated effectiveness of the team members. The dispositional characteristics will also enhance the members' experience of role clarity and mediate the effects of job-induced tension on the members' self-rated effectiveness. Satisfaction of the team members moderate the relationship between the dispositional characteristics and commitment, as well as mediate the effects of job-induced tension on the commitment of the team members. Organisations implementing self-managing work teams can benefit from developing and enhancing these dispositional characteristics in their selected team members and could also validate these dispositional characteristics in terms of selection criteria for self-managing work team members. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

Changes in South Africa's political and economic sphere demand the democratisation of the workplace, participation and empowerment of the work force. Flatter hierarchical structures, as a result of downsizing, enhance involvement but also demand that workers function in a more autonomous manner. The use of self-managing work teams has increased in response to these competitive challenges. Self-managing work teams are groups of employees who are fully responsible for a well-defined segment of finished work that delivers a product or a service to an internal or external customer. The functioning of self-managing work teams, in terms of the systems model, can be described as certain inputs that help the team to perform certain tasks and follow processes in order to achieve certain outputs. Inputs include the motivation, skills and personality factors of team members, while the tasks and processes refer to problem solving, conflict resolution, communication and decision making, planning, quality control, dividing of tasks, training and performance appraisal. These inputs and processes lead to outputs such as efficiency, productivity and quality of work life. To date empirical studies regarding self-managing work teams in South Africa focused on the readiness of organisations for implementing these teams. Little research has been done on characteristics of successful self-managed work group members. Findings regarding members of self-managing work teams elsewhere in the world couldn't uncritically be applied to South Africa, because of widely different circumstances. Research on dispositional factors such as sense of coherence, self-efficacy, locus of control and the big five personality dimensions could therefore help to identify predictors of effectiveness that can be validated in consecutive studies for selection purposes in a self-managing work team context in South Africa. The objective of the research was therefore to determine the relationship between dispositional characteristics of members of a self-managing work team and the effectiveness and quality of work life of these members. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The sample included members of self-managing work teams (N = 102) from a large chemical organisation and a financial institution in South Africa. The Orientation to Life Questionnaire, a Self-efficacy Scale, the Locus of Control Questionnaire and Personality Characteristics Inventory were used to measure the dispositional variables. Quality of work life (measured as consisting of satisfaction, commitment to the organisation and commitment to the team) and self-rated team member effectiveness were used as dependent variables. Descriptive statistics, Pearson and Spearman correlations, canonical correlations and structural equation modelling were used to analyse the data and investigate the relationships between the various dispositional characteristics quality of work life and effectiveness of the team members. The results showed practically significant positive relationships between sense of coherence, self-efficacy, autonomy, external locus of control and internal locus of control on the one hand, and quality of work life and effectiveness of the team members of self-managing work teams on the other hand. Of the big five personality dimensions only openness was associated with commitment to the team in terms of the quality of work life. Stability, extraversion and openness were associated with the self-rated effectiveness of the team members of self-managing work teams. The structural equation modelling showed that there is a positive path from the dispositional characteristics to the satisfaction, commitment and self-rated effectiveness of the team members. The dispositional characteristics will also enhance the members' experience of role clarity and mediate the effects of job-induced tension on the members' self-rated effectiveness. Satisfaction of the team members moderate the relationship between the dispositional characteristics and commitment, as well as mediate the effects of job-induced tension on the commitment of the team members. Organisations implementing self-managing work teams can benefit from developing and enhancing these dispositional characteristics in their selected team members and could also validate these dispositional characteristics in terms of selection criteria for self-managing work team members. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

The Rational Experiential Inventory consist of two large scales (rational and experiential), each one with two subscales (ability and engagement). Their psychometric properties have been studied in several countries, but there are no reports in the Latin American context. In this study we analyzed the factor structure and internal consistency of the Rational Experiential Inventory, and assessed the relationships between processing styles and different personality dimensions in a sample of students from Argentina. The results show an underlying two factorstructure with good internal consistency values. Only one significant relationshipbetween experiential style and extraversion was observed. A version with fewer items was attained and, due to its adequate psychometric properties, this instrument may be used in future research studies. / El Rational Experiential Inventory comprende dos grandes escalas (racional y experiencial), cada una con dos subescalas (habilidad y preferencia). Sus propiedades psicométricas han sido estudiadas en varios países, sin existir, según nuestro conocimiento, estudios en el contexto Latinoamericano. En este estudio analizamos la estructura factorial y consistencia interna del Rational Experiential Inventory y evaluamos las relaciones entre los modos de procesamiento y distintas dimensiones de la personalidad en una muestra de estudiantes de Argentina.  Los resultados muestran una estructura subyacente de dos factores, con buenos valores de consistencia interna. Solo se observó una relación positiva entre el modo experiencial y extroversión. Se obtuvo una versión con menor cantidad de ítems con adecuadas propiedades psicométricas para ser utilizada en contextos de investigación. / O Rational Experential Inventory inclui dois grandes escalas (racional e experiencial), cada uma com duas subescalas (de habilidade e de preferência). Suas propriedades psicométricas têm sido estudadas em vários países, sem existir, segundo nosso conhecimento, estudos no contexto latino-americano. Neste estudo analisamos a estrutura fatorial e consistência interna do Rational Experential Inventory e avaliamos as relações entre os modos de processamento e diferentes dimensões da personalidade em uma amostra de estudantes da Argentina. Os resultados mostram uma estrutura subjacente de dois fatores, com valores adequados de consistência interna. Foi observada apenas uma relação positiva entre o modo experiencial e extroversão. Obteve-se uma versão com menos itens com propriedades psicométricas adequadas para uso em ambientes de pesquisa.

No description available.

De senaste åren har den digitala utvecklingen lett till stor utveckling inom konsumenters köpbeteenden online. I takt med att det uppkommit fler aktörer på marknaden har e-handelsföretag konkurrerat inom pris, fraktalternativ och andra kostnader för att underlätta köpupplevelsen för kunder. Det har lett till att kundens köpbeteende förändras och produkt returerna ökat. Studien undersöker konsumenters returbeteende inom e-handel kopplat till konsumentens personlighet för att hitta samband i beteenden som kan bidra till kunskap kring vilka personlighetsdimensioner som är mer benägna att returnera varor. För att undersöka om det finns ett samband mellan konsumentens personlighetsdimensioner och returbeteende testar studien hypoteser utformade efter femfaktorsteorins dimensioner och de legitima- samt opportunistiska returbeteendet. Studien kommer att bidra med vidare forskning inom returbeteende genom en enkätundersökning av svenska konsumenter. Slutsatsen som kan dras i studien är att vissa personlighetsdimensioner kan kopplas till opportunistiskt och legitimt returbeteende. Denna studie har kunnat visa att neuroticism, välvillighet och samvetsgrannhet är viktiga faktorer som påverkar en individs returbeteende. Den har även visat att det finns ett stort behov av framtida forskning inom området, eftersom det finns indikationer till fler samband. / This essay is in Swedish. In recent years, digital developments have led to major developments in consumers' purchasing behavior online. As more players emerged in the market, e-commerce companies have competed on price, shipping options and other costs to facilitate the shopping experience for customers. This has led to a change in the customer's buying behavior and an increase in product returns. The study examines the return behavior of artifacts in e-commerce linked to the consumer's personality in order to find connections in behaviors that can contribute to knowledge about which personality dimensions are more likely to return goods. To investigate whether there is a relationship between the consumer's personality dimensions and return behavior, the study tests hypotheses designed according to the dimensions of the five-factor theory and the legitimate and opportunistic return behavior. The study will contribute to further research in return behavior through a survey of Swedish consumers. The conclusion that can be drawn in the study is that certain personality dimensions can be linked to opportunistic and legitimate return behavior. This study has been able to show that neuroticism, agreeableness and conscientiousness are important factors that influence an individual's return behavior. It has also shown that there is a great need for future research in the area, as there are indications of more connections.

Although many counter-drone systems such as drone jammers and anti-drone guns have been implemented, drone incidents are still increasing. These incidents are categorized as deviant act, a criminal act, terrorist act, or an unintentional act (aka system failure). Examples of reported drone incidents are not limited to property damage, but include personal injuries, airport disruption, drug transportation, and terrorist activities. Researchers have examined only drone incidents from a technological perspective. The variance in drone architectures poses many challenges to the current investigation practices, including several operation approaches such as custom commutation links. Therefore, there is a limited research background available that aims to study the intercomponent mapping in unmanned aircraft system (UAS) investigation incorporating three critical investigative domains---behavioral analysis, forensic intelligence (FORINT), and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) forensic investigation. The UAS forensic intelligence-led taxonomy (U-FIT) aims to classify the technical, behavioral, and intelligence characteristics of four UAS deviant actions --- including individuals who flew a drone too high, flew a drone close to government buildings, flew a drone over the airfield, and involved in drone collision. The behavioral and threat profiles will include one criminal act (i.e., UAV contraband smugglers). The UAV forensic investigation dimension concentrates on investigative techniques including technical challenges; whereas, the behavioral dimension investigates the behavioral characteristics, distinguishing among UAS deviants and illegal behaviors. Moreover, the U-FIT taxonomy in this study builds on the existing knowledge of current UAS forensic practices to identify patterns that aid in generalizing a UAS forensic intelligence taxonomy. The results of these dimensions supported the proposed UAS forensic intelligence-led taxonomy by demystifying the predicted personality traits to deviant actions and drone smugglers. The score obtained in this study was effective in distinguishing individuals based on certain personality traits. These novel, highly distinguishing features in the behavioral personality of drone users may be of particular importance not only in the field of behavioral psychology but also in law enforcement and intelligence.

Working mothers face various challenges today, one of which is to be a mother, wife,caretaker and employee all at the same time. Fulfilling these challenging and sometimes demanding roles can contribute to role overload and conflict, which can have a negative impact on organisational effectiveness, as well as the overall wellbeing of the working mother. This dissertation outlines the relationship between personality dimensions, sense of coherence and the coping styles of working mothers from a salutogenic perspective. The Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ), Orientations to Life Questionnaire (OLQ) and the Coping Orientations to the Problems Experienced (COPE) Questionnaire were used to measure the relationship between personality dimensions, sense of coherence and the coping styles of working mothers. The study was conducted with 102 working mothers representing different ethnic groups and occupational levels in different occupational fields and organisations. A theoretical relationship was established. The empirical investigation provided evidence of such a relationship and it seems that coping styles can be predicted from considering personality dimensions and sense of coherence. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial Psychology)

Working mothers face various challenges today, one of which is to be a mother, wife,caretaker and employee all at the same time. Fulfilling these challenging and sometimes demanding roles can contribute to role overload and conflict, which can have a negative impact on organisational effectiveness, as well as the overall wellbeing of the working mother. This dissertation outlines the relationship between personality dimensions, sense of coherence and the coping styles of working mothers from a salutogenic perspective. The Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ), Orientations to Life Questionnaire (OLQ) and the Coping Orientations to the Problems Experienced (COPE) Questionnaire were used to measure the relationship between personality dimensions, sense of coherence and the coping styles of working mothers. The study was conducted with 102 working mothers representing different ethnic groups and occupational levels in different occupational fields and organisations. A theoretical relationship was established. The empirical investigation provided evidence of such a relationship and it seems that coping styles can be predicted from considering personality dimensions and sense of coherence. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial Psychology)