Consumer satisfaction is key for retailers to retain loyal consumers. Retailers use apparel brands as a strategy to differentiate themselves in the market place, to attract potential consumers and to retain loyal consumers. Retailers have discovered the potential of the fuller figure sector as a lucrative market which can assist them to make profits and to increase their sales. The aim of this research is firstly to explore and describe the needs and expectations that the fuller figure South African working women have with branded career wear secondly, how they evaluate branded career wear apparel against the two broad quality dimensions namely functional and aesthetic dimensions and thirdly the problems they experience with the functional and aesthetic quality dimensions of branded career wear. The study also describes how fuller figure South African working women consumers further evaluate the branded apparel during the decision-making process which can ultimately lead to her either accepting or rejecting the branded career wear. This research is descriptive in nature, as an attempt is made to describe and understand how working fuller figure females evaluate branded apparel against certain quality dimensions and make decisions to purchase branded apparel to satisfy their needs. The Sproles and Burns’ (1994:264) decision-making model theoretical underpins the study. A quantitative research style was chosen for this study and the objectives and sub- objectives related to the needs and problems of the quality dimensions of the branded career wear were examined. A self-administered, structured questionnaire was designed to gain demographic information of the sample group, their store preferences, where they get their fashion information from as well as their needs and problems with regard to branded career wear apparel. Purposive sampling and snowball sampling techniques were used to select a sample of working fuller figure females in the Tshwane, South Africa area. The responses to the 150 questionnaires were coded, captured and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results of this study revealed that most of the respondents ranked the functional quality dimensions higher than the aesthetic quality dimensions. It is clear that most of the fuller figure consumers regard comfort as the most important need, followed by durability (that the material of the branded career wear should be of good quality). The sample group also regarded the emotional aesthetic aspects very important (that the styles are beautiful and make her feel feminine). It is contradictory, that these fuller figure working women experienced major problems with the quality dimensions that they ranked as highly important. The sample group experienced problems with fit at the functional and aesthetic level, although fit is one of the most important factors that consumers use during the evaluation of apparel items. This study makes certain recommendations to apparel retailers, fashion theorists and image consultants how to obtain optimal consumer satisfaction. The South African apparel retailers should take cognisance of the needs and problems of this growing market related to the functional and aesthetic quality dimensions. The study also revealed how age and income play a role regarding the needs and problems this sample group experienced with branded career wear and how this can influence their decision to either accept or reject a brand. The results contribute to the body of knowledge regarding the needs and problems of branded career wear apparel for the fuller figure market related to certain functional and aesthetic quality dimensions Copyright / Dissertation (MConsumer Science)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Consumer Science / unrestricted

本研究重點欲探討時下人人皆有的心理狀態「寂寞感」、「交友軟體的使用動機」與「自我揭露」行為之間的關係、而「交友軟體品質特性」又如何調節影響「交友軟體使用動機」與「自我揭露」行為。本研究採取網路問卷調查的方式，對於交友App有使用經驗的使用者為主要調查對象，共計307有效問卷進行分析。本研究主要發現如下： 1.本研究的受試者以男性、年齡18-25歲、學歷以大專院校者為最多，感情狀況以未婚族群最多，但是還是有非單身甚至已婚交友用戶；使用交友軟體的時間大多兩年之內，平均下載2.66個交友App軟體，其中最常使用的交友App軟體為Beetalk。受試者平均每週上交友軟體的天數為5.07天，每週花費5.43小時。另外，高達94.1%的受試者曾經在交友App平台上與陌生人進一步用其他通訊軟體、社群媒體互動，並有88.9%的受試者曾約現實碰面。 2.寂寞感程度可顯著的正向預測交友軟體使用動機中的日常社交、社會逃避以及尋愛之三個構面。 3.寂寞感程度可顯著的正向預測自我揭露中的誠實度、數量以及正負向之三個構面。 4.關於交友軟體使用動機(日常社交、社會逃避、尋愛)與自我揭露(誠實度、數量、正負向)之間的關係：交友軟體使用動機中日常社交、社會逃避與尋愛之三個構面皆可顯著預測自我揭露中的誠實度：當日常社交和社會逃避動機越高時，自我揭露中的誠實度越高；但是當尋愛動機越高時，自我揭露中的誠實度越低。交友使用動機中日常社交和尋愛之二個構面皆可顯著預測自我揭露中的數量：當日常社交動機越高時，自我揭露中的數量越高；但當尋愛動機越高時，自我揭露中的數量越低。交友使用動機中日常社交之構面可顯著正向預測自我揭露中的正負向。 5.交友軟體品質特性(使用者介面、安全性、形象聲譽、會員素質、尋愛達成率)對交友軟體使用動機與自我揭露的調節效果中，僅只有尋愛達成率對交友軟體使用動機和自我揭露產生調節效果。 6.交友軟體使用動機中僅有日常社交之構面對於寂寞感程度與自我揭露有中介效果。 / The purpose of this study is to explore how “loneliness” which is widely prevalent throughout the society affects the motives of using online dating applications and the behavior of self-disclosure. Furthermore, how the quality of online dating apps operates in between the motives of using online dating apps and the behavior of self- disclosure. Online survey was conducted and 307 respondents completed the questionnaire. The research results are presented as follow: 1.Most of the respondents in the study are male, aged from 18 to 25, graduated from college and are currently single. Still, there are some of them in a relationship and even married. Subjects mostly have been used the dating apps less than 2 years, and averagely downloaded 2.66 dating apps. Furthermore, the most popular dating apps is Beetalk. Respondents use dating apps 5.07 days a week and 5.43 hours a week in average. Besides, there are 94.1% of the respondents have used other social media or social apps to communicate with other users they met in dating apps and 88.9% of the respondents have actually met up in real life. 2.Different degree of loneliness have statistically significant and positive predictable effect on the motives of using online dating apps including “Daily Social Needs”, “Escape to Virtual World”, and “Romance”. 3.Different degree of loneliness have statistically significant and positive predictable effect on the different aspects of self-disclosure including: Honesty, Quantity, and Positivity. 4.The motives of using online dating apps including “Daily Social Needs”, “Escape to Virtual World”, “Romance” have statistically significant and predictable effect on the honesty of self-disclosure. “Daily Social Needs” and “Romance” of motives have significant and predicable effect on the quantity of self-disclosure. Only “Daily social needs” have statistically significant and predictable effect on the positivity of self-disclosure. 5.Only the quality of “Love Achievement Rate” of online dating apps have operation effects in between the motives of using online dating apps and the behavior of self- disclosure. 6.Only “Daily social needs” of motives of using online dating apps have mediation effects between loneliness and the behavior of self disclosure.

Studien syftar till att bidra med ytterligare kunskap om hur vi kan driva kvalitetsförbättringar och därmed öka kundvärdet inom det svenska utbildningssystemet. Studien genomförs med en systematisk litteraturöversikt av artiklar om RTI-modellen. Kategoriseringen sker utifrån Bergman och Klefsjös (2012) hörnstensmodell för offensiv kvalitetsutveckling samt strukturkvalitet som en av kvalitetsdimensionerna i Österbergs (2014) analysmodell för det systematiska kvalitetsarbetet i skolan.   Förutsättningarna för att driva kvalitetsförbättringar med hjälp av RTI-modellen går att sammanfatta med; kompetent personal, rätt utrustning för att genomföra och analysera screeningar av eleverna, samt tid och stöd för arbetet. Samtliga värderingar i hörnstensmodellen nämns i artiklarna, vilket gör att vi kan anta att RTI-modellen går att använda för att utveckla kvalitet och skapa kundvärde i skolan.   Det krävs även en kultur som värdesätter mätning samt att arbeta med data för att RTI-modellen ska bidra till kvalitetsutveckling. Eftersom det amerikanska skolsystemet, där RTI-modellen hittills tillämpats, är mer resultatinriktat än det svenska kan vi utgå från att det amerikanska systemet är mer gynnsamt för att implementeringen av modellen ska vara framgångsrik. / The education system has historically had a reactive rather than a proactive approach to its customers, that is, students' needs and the conditions for achieving the school's goals. A reactive way of working is still the norm, although today we are aware that the effect of reactive improvements is limited. We are in a paradigm shift where the education system seeks to find models that are based on a modern view of quality, which means putting the customer's needs at the center.   The aim of the study is to contribute further knowledge of how we can drive quality improvements, thus increasing customer value within the Swedish education system. The study is conducted with a systematic literature review of articles on the model Response to Intervention. Categorization is based on Bergman and Klefsjö (2012) model for quality development based on customer needs and satisfaction, and Österbergs (2014) structural quality dimension.   The prerequisites for driving quality improvements using the RTI model can be summarized with; competent staff, the right equipment for carrying out and analyzing screenings of the students, as well as time and support for the work. All the values in the quality management model are mentioned in the articles, which allows us to assume that the RTI model can be used to develop quality and create customer value in the school.   It also requires a culture that values measurement and working with data in order for the RTI model to contribute to quality development. Since the US school system, where the RTI model has been applied so far, is more result-oriented than the Swedish, we assume that the US system is more beneficial for the implementation of the model to be successful. / <p>2018-06-27</p>