This research study was completed to determine whether a relationship exists between executive and senior manager personality styles and the tendency to apply hyperbolic discounting in their strategic decision making. Experiments were designed to test for hyperbolic discounting when comparing monetary value over time periods, as well as real-life scenarios. An online questionnaire was disseminated to executive and senior management respondents who formed the sample population from the FMCG industry that purported a monetary value experiment, which was based on a previous study done by Chark, Chew, and Zhong (2012), followed by four scenarios with high levels risk and uncertainty. The MBTI scores and organisational level (executives and senior managers) were supplied by the respondents and this was used to compare the MBTI Intuition and Judging personality styles with the respondents answers as per the questionnaires. The results revealed that when using monetary value comparisons over time the respondents were prone to apply hyperbolic discounting. However, when the scenario questions were analysed there was a diminishing behaviour in the tendency to apply hyperbolic discounting. There was also no significant relationship between the use of MBTI Intuition or Judging between the two organisational levels in strategic decision making. No significance was found in the MBTI personality style and hyperbolic discounting. Recommendations were made based on the results and what impact it could have for business as well as suggestions on further research. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / pagibs2014 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

This thesis presents a research model to investigate university-students’ acceptance and behaviour in relation to social-networking sites (SNS). In order to carry out this investigation, the research project was divided into two phases using qualitative and quantitative data based on a diverse sample of university students. Phase One used a think-aloud technique to explore the interaction experiences associated with students’ use of Facebook, a popular social-networking site. Twenty-six participants from Teesside University took part in the first study and six categories of experience (communication, gratification, inquisitiveness, evocation, interconnection, apprehension, and ambience) were identified. Subsequently conceptual similarities were found between all six categories of experience and six psychological human needs (relatedness, pleasure, popularity, security, competence and meaning). In Phase Two, a research model was constructed, based on existing literature on technology acceptance and the psychological needs identified in Phase One. Results from an online survey of 766 university students in the United Kingdom, who were also SNS users, provided evidence for the proposed model. The model explained and predicted students’ adoption of SNS, accounting for half of the variance in behavioural intention and almost a quarter of the variance in actual use behaviour. The results showed that students’ personal beliefs, social identity and psychological human needs influenced their decision to adopt SNS. Specifically, user-perceived usefulness, ease of use, enjoyment and credibility were found to iv be important factors in students’ adoption of SNS. The influence of social identity on students’ behavioural intention was also found to be mediated by perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Furthermore, the findings emphasise the importance of psychological human needs in students’ adoption of SNS. In particular, the need for relatedness was found to be a significant independent predictor of behavioural intention. Based on the results of this study, theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder for which Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy (CPAP) is the standard treatment. Despite the effectiveness of this treatment, CPAP acceptance and adherence rates are generally suboptimal. The aim of this dissertation was to validate a new, inclusive Health Belief Model (HBM) for the prediction of CPAP acceptance and adherence. It was argued that the HBM could predict future adherence even before patients have experienced the treatment, thus providing valid intervention targets to improve CPAP acceptance as well as adherence. Modifiable constructs that are proximal to the decision making process for OSA patients, were identified from the literature (Chapter 1). Along with the generic HBM constructs of perceived benefits, barriers, severity, risk, self-efficacy and cues to action, additional predictors were incorporated in the OSA specific model. These included biomedical indices of objective disease severity and measures of psychological distress. Study One assessed 77 newly diagnosed, CPAP naïve OSA patients on a questionnaire battery at baseline (prior to CPAP treatment). The questionnaire included HBM measures which were available in the literature; benefits perception, self-efficacy, functional severity, and perceived risk of negative health outcomes. CPAP adherence was assessed at four month follow-up. This initial investigation found that health beliefs alone explained 21.8% of the variance in CPAP adherence, whilst health beliefs and biomedical indices together explained 31.8% of the variance in CPAP adherence. The greatest proportion of CPAP adherence was explained by higher benefits perception, greater severity and lower risk perception. Study Two reported on the development and validation of a measure of the barriers construct (as no measure of this existed). A sample of 113 newly diagnosed, CPAP naïve OSA patients completed a questionnaire containing potential items of the Barriers to CPAP Use questionnaire (BACQ) at baseline. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) showed a two factor structure of the eight-item BACQ, with ‘Barriers’ and ‘Cost of Treatment’ subscales identified. The BACQ had an internal consistency of 0.82 and readability at a fifth grade reading level. The aim of Study Three was to develop a valid and reliable measure of the cues to action construct. A sample of 63 OSA patients (from the total 113 patients assessed in Study Two) completed a questionnaire containing potential items of the Cues to CPAP Use questionnaire (CCUQ) one month after being prescribed CPAP. EFA showed a three factor structure of the nine-item CCUQ, with ‘Health Cues’, ‘Partner Cues’ and ‘Health Professional Cues’ subscales identified. The CCUQ demonstrated modest internal consistency and split-half reliability, and readability at a seventh grade level. Study Four incorporated three sub-studies which assessed the accuracy of the fully articulated HBM (including the BACQ and CCUQ measures) in predicting CPAP adherence at two months. Study Four A reported on the same sample of 113 CPAP naïve patients (from Study Two). Structural Equation Modelling demonstrated the complex relationship between health beliefs, psychological variables, and biomedical indices in CPAP adherence. The full HBM predicted 24% of the variance in CPAP adherence at two months. Adherence was directly predicted by lower perception of treatment cost as a barrier to CPAP use, higher self-efficacy, and higher BMI. Study Four B reported on 63 patients who completed HBM questionnaires at one month. The model predicted 42% of the variance in CPAP adherence at two months. Adherence was directly predicted by greater benefits perception, greater psychological distress, and lower perception of the Health Professional as the important cue to action. Study Four C investigated changes in health beliefs between baseline and one month. By one month patients generally reported more positive attitudes to CPAP, and better overall functioning. These changes did not correlate with CPAP adherence. Those who used CPAP more than four hours per night demonstrated greater improvement in functional severity and in anxiety score. Study Five used the findings of the HBM studies in developing a theory-driven Motivational Intervention (MI) to target specific beliefs associated with poor adherence. 101 newly diagnosed, CPAP naïve OSA patients were randomly assigned to nurse-led MI + Standard Care (50 participants), or to Standard Care only (51 participants). MI patients received two sessions before starting CPAP, and one session one month after CPAP prescription. By three months, the MI group used CPAP 50% more of the time, and were six times less likely to reject CPAP. The MI group demonstrated greater self-efficacy and a lower perception of barriers to CPAP use. The findings were largely supportive of the HBM theory of CPAP adherence. The substantive findings of this dissertation were that patients do need relevant, timely and targeted support in order for them to effectively commence on CPAP and then continue to adequately adhere. At a minimum, psychological intervention, such as a Motivational Intervention, is likely to be needed for the subset of patients who report beliefs associated with poor adherence at pre-treatment.

Formulamos um modelo matemático determinístico baseado no princípio de ação de massas, em analogia aos trabalhos que estudam a dinâmica de doenças infecciosas em Epidemiologia. Analisamos a dinâmica do espalhamento de rumores levando em conta a simetria no número de contatos diretos entre suscetíveis e infectados pelo rumor e estudamos as implicações de uma campanha publicitária educativa na dinâmica do modelo. Posteriormente, propomos uma simplificação do modelo e desconsideramos o contato entre os indivíduos suscetíveis e infectados supostamente mais resistentes às novidades. Discutimos suas implicações no espalhamento do rumor e a conexão com os parâmetros que descrevem o comportamento social. / We have developed a deterministic mathematical model based on the mass-action principle, in analogy to the works that study the dynamics of infectious diseases in Epidemiology. We analyzed the dynamic of rumors spreading, taking into account the symmetry of contacts among susceptible and infectious individuals and studied the implications of an educative broadcasting advertising in the model. Afterwards, we proposed a simplification ot the model excluding the contact among susceptible and infected individuals supposedly more resistant to novelities. Their implications to the spread of rumor and its connection with parameters describing social behavior are discussed.

Formulamos um modelo matemático determinístico baseado no princípio de ação de massas, em analogia aos trabalhos que estudam a dinâmica de doenças infecciosas em Epidemiologia. Analisamos a dinâmica do espalhamento de rumores levando em conta a simetria no número de contatos diretos entre suscetíveis e infectados pelo rumor e estudamos as implicações de uma campanha publicitária educativa na dinâmica do modelo. Posteriormente, propomos uma simplificação do modelo e desconsideramos o contato entre os indivíduos suscetíveis e infectados supostamente mais resistentes às novidades. Discutimos suas implicações no espalhamento do rumor e a conexão com os parâmetros que descrevem o comportamento social. / We have developed a deterministic mathematical model based on the mass-action principle, in analogy to the works that study the dynamics of infectious diseases in Epidemiology. We analyzed the dynamic of rumors spreading, taking into account the symmetry of contacts among susceptible and infectious individuals and studied the implications of an educative broadcasting advertising in the model. Afterwards, we proposed a simplification ot the model excluding the contact among susceptible and infected individuals supposedly more resistant to novelities. Their implications to the spread of rumor and its connection with parameters describing social behavior are discussed.