Political skill has been described as using human resources and manipulating social exchanges to influence group outcomes (Mintzberg, 1983). Researchers have found that political skill has significant relationships with constructs such as contextual performance, career satisfaction and leadership. Based on these empirical findings it may be beneficial to include a measure of political skill as part of a selection process. In this study, different methods were explored for measuring political skill that may be appropriate for administrative purposes such as the self-rated questionnaire called the Political Skill Inventory (PSI), a situational judgment test (SJT) and the structured interview. A sample of 100 graduate business students, most of whom had extensive managerial experience, completed the previously mentioned measures in exchange for feedback on their assessments. The participants were subsequently rated on political skill by their coworkers. The only significant association with the coworker scores was the PSI; neither the SJT nor the structured interview showed a significant relationship with the peer ratings of political skill. However, there were unforeseen technical limits to the measures that might explain the negative findings. The paper concludes with recommendations for improving the measures prior to a follow-up study.

This thesis investigated aspects of plant recruitment across an altitudinal gradient of mountain tops in the Victorian Alps, Australia, and provides a baseline for the patterns and processes of alpine plant recruitment in the absence of large-scale disturbance. The patterns in alpine vegetation across the study sites were described in relation to abiotic environmental factors. Temperatures were lower and precipitation was higher at the high altitude sites. The vegetation did not differ significantly between the sites, although sites at low altitudes were shrubbier than those at high altitudes. Analysis of the soil seed bank revealed high mean densities of germinable seed (80 to 1400 seeds m-2) across the gradient of sites. The similarity between the seed bank samples and the standing vegetation was low (qualitative similarity: 0.08 to 0.2; quantitative similarity: 0.03 to 0.19). In laboratory germination experiments, I found rapid and substantial germination. Final percent germination was above 90% for most species. One species, Aciphylla glacialis, showed evidence of dormancy mechanisms. In subsequent experiments, I found that innate primary seed dormancy in this species could be broken with cold-wet stratification. There were no significant patterns in natural seedling recruitment across the altitudinal gradient. Similarities between the seedling flora and the standing vegetation were low (qualitative similarity: 0.18 to 0.45: quantitative similarity 0.04 to 0.09). Mean seedling density was best predicted by a combination of soil wilting point, altitude and plant litter. In some cases, seedling density was greater than 80 seedlings m-2. The relative importance of either negative (competitive) or positive (facilitative) interactions between seedlings with adjacent vegetation were investigated in relation to seed germination, seedling growth and seedling survival. Facilitative interactions were common at the higher altitude sites. At lower altitudes, facilitative and competitive interactions were common. Without close neighbours at high altitudes, seedlings were unlikely to survive into their second year. An understanding of plant recruitment can provide a useful basis for predicting species responses to large-scale disturbance and climate change.

The koi carp Cyprinus carpio is an invasive fish that has reached high numbers and biomass in the North Island of New Zealand, particularly in the Waikato region. This species has a variety of negative effects on aquatic ecosystems, increasing turbidity, uprooting aquatic macrophytes, and affecting water column nutrient levels. Recent research in Australia and New Zealand has shown that adult carp, though largely restricted to small scale movements, are capable of moving long distances. Movement in adult carp may be underestimated by these studies, and comparatively little is known about the movement of smaller carp. This study examined the feasibility of using laser ablation otolith microchemistry to track koi carp movement and identify spawning areas. Water samples from six locations (Lake Waahi, Lake Whangape, Lake Waikare, the Whangamarino River, and the Waikato River at Aka Aka and Rangiriri) were analysed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Significant differences between sites were found in the water concentrations of many elements. Koi carp were collected from the above locations, as well as from Opuatia Stream, Pungarehu Stream, the Maramarua River and Lake Hakanoa. The elemental concentrations in the asteriscus otoliths were analysed using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP-MS). Elemental concentrations in the edges and nuclei of adult koi carp and the edges of young-of-the-year (YOY) koi carp were significantly different between capture sites. No significant differences were found in elemental concentrations between sites in the nuclei of YOY koi carp. A discriminant function analysis (DFA) was carried out using the otolith edge elemental signatures of koi carp. The model used Ba, Sr, Mg, Rb and Zn concentrations to differentiate between four capture locations: the Waikato River, Pungarehu Stream, Lake Waahi, and Lake Waikare and Pungarehu Stream. The DFA was able to correctly predict the capture location of 82% of koi carp using their otolith edge elemental signatures. The classification functions created using koi carp otolith edge signatures were then used as a training set to classify otolith nucleus signatures. The otolith nuclei of 80% of YOY koi carp were classified to their site of capture, suggesting they had not moved between locations. The majority of adult koi carp caught at Lake Waikare, Whangamarino River, Pungarehu Stream and Opuatia Stream had nucleus signatures matching their capture sites, indicating that these fish originated from their capture location. Koi carp from other sites likely moved there from another location. The majority of adult koi carp (88%) caught at the Waikato River at Rangiriri had otolith nucleus signatures matching Lake Waikare and Pungarehu Stream. Adult koi carp caught at Lake Waahi and the Waikato River at Aka Aka had otolith signatures corresponding to a range of locations. While some areas (Lake Waikare, Pungarehu Stream) appear to have resident koi carp populations that likely originated there, others (Lake Waahi, the Waikato River) appear to have koi carp populations of mixed origin. These results indicate that Lake Waikare, Pungarehu Stream and the Whangamarino River may be important sources of koi carp recruits in the lower Waikato region.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Early recognition of plant invaders is key to their successful management. Yet knowledge of the ecological impacts of species before they become widespread is poor. This thesis examines the ecology of invasive Pinus radiata, a species which is known to spread from introduced plantings in Australia but is currently a low profile invader. Pinus invasions are considered major ecological problems in New Zealand and South Africa where wildlings are beginning to dominate natural areas and suppress native vegetation. Invasion success elsewhere and the large softwood estate in Australia suggest that pines may begin to dominate native eucalypt forests bordering large commercial plantations. This research focused on three components of impact of P. radiata; extent, abundance and effect per individual. The borders of 29 P. radiata plantations in NSW were surveyed in order to quantify the current level of invasion and to identify factors facilitating pine spread. Of particular interest was the role of propagule pressure, vegetation type and fire in the invasion process. The area of land in NSW currently invaded by P. radiata was estimated at almost 4 500 ha, although this is likely to be an underestimate due to an inability to detect wildlings (self-sown pines) at long distances from the plantation. Twenty six of the 29 plantations produced wild pines, however most of the sites are in the very early stages of invasion. Noticeable wildling populations were recorded at nine sites indicating that P. radiata is capable of establishing within native vegetation. Pine spread was most severe in the world heritage listed Blue Mountains region where pine densities reached up to 2000 per hectare in areas adjacent to the plantation and isolated pines were recorded up to 4 km from the source. The presence of isolated pines within intact native vegetation suggests that disturbance is not required for pine establishment in forested environments. Furthermore, high pine emergence and survival rates in eucalypt woodland and evidence of self reproduction by wildlings suggest that in the absence of adequate control measures pines may become established invaders in the Australian landscape. While low levels of current invasion at many sites hindered the ability to examine the factors facilitating invasion some variables that appear to be driving pine success were identified. At the landscape scale plantation size and residence time were significant predictors of the level of invasion at a site. Areas of native vegetation vi adjacent to plantations less than 40 years experienced very low levels of invasion suggesting a lag period between plantation establishment and invasion. However, pines with diameters up to 60 cm were observed growing adjacent to plantations younger than 40 years implying that the first colonisers are capable of establishing soon after plantation trees become reproductive. Propagule pressure was also found to have a strong influence on invasion success on a smaller scale manifesting in a significant positive relationship between the age of a plantation compartment and the likelihood of invasion. A negative relationship between plantation size and level of invasion was a surprising result and was influenced by just two large sites that happened to be located in areas of high rainfall. All sites receiving more than 1300 mm annual rainfall experienced low levels of invasion suggesting that this is a limiting factor for pine spread in NSW. There were significant differences in the level of invasion between vegetation types implying that some communities are more susceptible to invasion. Patterns of spread confirmed ideas regarding the facilitative effect of disturbance in the invasion process and the resistance of wet sclerophyll forest to invasion in Australia. An absence of wildlings in cleared land and areas of remnant bushland was attributed to high levels of grazing pressure. Wind direction did not appear to influence the distribution of pines close to the plantation, but evidence of long distance wind dispersal of pines was provided by an investigation of pine spread from the air at one site where large pines were found growing 10 km downwind from a mature plantation. Fire was found to have both a positive and negative influence on the invasion process. High intensity wildfires are capable of destroying large pines with diameters exceeding 50 cm. However, fire can stimulate seed release from cones resulting in large post-fire recruitment pulses. Seedling densities of up to 3050 per hectare were recorded almost 3 years after wildfire, suggesting that follow up control prior to recruits reaching coning age, i.e. within 5 years, would be beneficial. Surveys of wildling pines exposed to low intensity hazard reduction burns suggest that the majority of pines greater than 3 m in height and with a diameter of more than 10 cm will survive the fire. Low intensity prescribed fires that are carried out after pines have reached this size will fail to control wildling populations. To examine the influence of P. radiata once it has established in the native community this study focused on two mechanisms of impact, the addition of pine litter and increased shade due to an increase in canopy cover. Collection of pine litterfall vii within an invaded eucalypt woodland over a 2 year period recorded rates of up to 1400 kg/ha/year in the most heavily invaded area with a pine basal area of 11.3m2/ha. More than 70 % of pine litter fell directly below the pine canopy suggesting that the most severe litter effects will be limited to these areas. Glasshouse and field experiments were conducted to examine the influence of this increased litter load on the emergence of P. radiata and two native species. Recruitment of native plant species was impeded by litter levels of 6000 kg/ha, the equivalent of approximately 4 years of pine litterfall. Both P. radiata and the two natives responded similarly to pine and eucalypt litter suggesting the two litter types are influencing the recruitment phase equally. However, where pines are added to the system, increased litterfall rates could potentially result in the doubling of the litter load and hence a greater barrier to seedling establishment. Pine invaded eucalypt woodlands are also subjected to three fold increases in canopy cover. Trends in reduced emergence of native species under a pine canopy suggest that the addition of pines to eucalypt forests is likely to have a negative influence on native recruitment and may result in a shift towards a shade tolerant community. However, reversal of trends in emergence below pine canopy between seasons implies that quantifying invasion impacts requires a consideration of temporal variation. Increased levels of disturbance, forest fragmentation and an increasing pine estate are likely to lead to the infestation of new areas. Furthermore the lag phase associated with pine spread means that even if no new plantations are established the number of invasion events will increase. This study has identified a number of risk factors that can be used to guide plantation establishment and the management of invasion events. Minimising disturbance at plantation borders and increasing the ‘no planting’ zone will help to reduce the impacts of pines. Where possible new plantations should be established upwind of cleared land or at least, wet sclerophyll forest. Frequent monitoring of the borders of plantations yet to source invasions, particularly those greater than 40 years of age, will help identify problem areas before control becomes difficult and costly. Maps of the 29 plantations marked with areas of pine infestation will help prioritise sites for control and provide base level knowledge for future monitoring of pine spread. Stringent legislation that binds plantation managers to control wildlings beyond their boundaries is critical for the effective management of pine invasions. With infinite numbers of invaders and limited funds to dedicate to their control, a method of triaging species for management is critical. This is particularly difficult viii when information is typically biased towards invaders that are already widespread. By focussing on the ecological impacts of invaders it becomes possible to rank species on the basis of the threat they pose to native communities. Ecological research is capable of providing the knowledge to quantify invasion impacts and must remain at the centre of policy decisions.

Abstract Background The randomised-controlled trial (RCT) provides the best evidence for evaluating treatment effects and is accepted as a gold standard for clinical and regulatory decision making (1;2). One of the major challenges to the conduct of RCTs is the recruitment of adequate numbers of participants. Inadequate numbers reduce the power of a study to detect statistically significant treatment effects, and may cause delays, increased costs and failure to complete trials. The need for clinical trials in children has been increasingly recognised by the scientific community, resulting in increased demands for the inclusion of children in trials. For several reasons, recruiting children to trials is more challenging than recruiting adults, as consent issues are more difficult because parents make decisions about trial participation on behalf of their child. Despite general professional and community support for paediatric clinical trials, parents and paediatricians express reluctance when their own child or patient is asked to participate. Although researchers working with children commonly experience difficulty with recruiting children to RCTs, little is known about this very important subject. The method by which potential participants are approached for trial participation, the influence of their health care provider and the attitude of potential participants (or their parents, in the case of children), are critical to the understanding of the decision making process for trial participation. This thesis is one of the first major attempts to explore the issues surrounding the recruitment of children to RCTs, and is divided into four studies which address these issues. Methods Recruitment strategies used to encourage participation in randomised controlled trials (systematic review) Eligible experimental and observational studies comparing methods of recruiting participants for RCTs were identified after a comprehensive search of Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library and reference lists. Independent data extractions were completed by two reviewers who assessed the studies for eligibility and methodological quality. Outcome measures were consent rates, proportion enrolled by each method and cost of recruitment per participant. Summary estimators of effects were calculated using a random effects model and expressed as relative risk with 95% confidence intervals. Heterogeneity was analysed using the Q statistic. Paediatricians� attitudes to children�s participation in randomised controlled trials (focus group research) Qualitative analysis of focus group discussions involving 16 paediatricians and 5 trainees from a paediatric teaching hospital in Sydney was undertaken. Doctors varied in occupation, experience, research activity, age, gender, ethnicity and parenthood experience. A professional facilitator conducted the semi-structured group discussions. Recruitment ceased when informational redundancy was reached, after 4 focus groups involving 21 participants. The transcribed audiotapes were analysed by theme linkage using the constant comparative method. Australian paediatricians� and adult physicians� attitudes to randomised controlled trials (survey) A 44-item questionnaire was sent to 250 paediatricians and 250 adult physicians randomly selected from the membership list of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. Questions assessing doctors� treatment philosophies and attitudes to trials were compared with demographic and practice variables. Parents� attitudes to children�s participation in randomised controlled trials (focus group research) Qualitative analysis of focus group discussions involving 33 parents from 5 different settings (representing parents of children with a life threatening, chronic or acute illness, with experience in trials and of healthy children) was undertaken. Parents varied in age, gender, ethnicity, level of education, research experience and their child�s health status. The transcribed discussions were analysed by theme linkage using the constant comparative method. Results Recruitment strategies used to encourage participation in randomised controlled trials (systematic review) Fifty papers were included (out of 8602 titles and abstracts searched) which described 8 RCTs, 2 quasi RCTs, 13 prospective cohort studies, 30 retrospective cohort studies and 2 before-after studies. These studies assessed how over 4 million people were approached for RCT participation using 87 different recruitment strategies, with 103,406 people enrolling in RCTs. Health care provider (HCP) referrals had the highest participant consent rates at the time of exposure to trial information (HCP referral versus target mailing: relative risk (RR) 1.84 (95% confidence interval (95%CI) 1.08, 3.13)). They also had the highest consent rates when potential participants respond to the recruitment material by further enquiry about the trial (HCP referral versus community presentation: RR 1.37 (1.06; 1.78); HCP referral versus worksite approach: RR 25.20 (20.19, 31.45); HCP referral versus general community approach: RR 2.53 (0.46, 14.05); HCP referral versus mailing: RR 3.29 (1.26, 8.60); HCP referral versus media: RR 2.66 (1.31, 5.41)). However, by the time potential participants attend eligibility assessment for trial participation, no difference in consent rates could be distinguished by method of recruitment. Higher proportions of study participants were recruited by methods that exposed larger numbers of potential candidates to trial information (despite their lower consent rates). The stated recruitment cost ranged from US$0 to $1108 per participant, with mailing being the most cost-effective method and community methods (such as community presentations, pamphlets and posters displayed at community sites) the least effective. Paediatricians� attitudes to children�s participation in randomised controlled trials (focus group research) From the focus group discussions, paediatricians thought parents balanced perceived gains and risks when deciding about trial participation. They also believed the child�s condition and parents� health beliefs and personal attributes influenced parents� decisions. Other factors thought to be important by paediatricians were the doctors� beliefs and their relationship with the investigators. Paediatricians perceived gains for trial participation including professional benefits for themselves, improved patient care, convenience for the families and themselves and scientific advancement. Perceived risks included inconvenience, inadequate resources and potential harms to the patient and the doctor-patient relationship. Paediatricians with previous research experience were most knowledgeable about RCTs and perceived greatest gains from trial participation. Paediatricians� personal treatment preferences hindered trial support. Australian paediatricians� and adult physicians� attitudes to randomised controlled trials (survey) Response rate from the paediatricians� and adult physicians� survey was 60% (300/500). Australian paediatricians and adult physicians are very similar in their treatment philosophies, and are clinician-oriented rather than research-oriented in their attitudes, with primary allegiance to their patients and preference for selecting treatment rather than referring for trial participation in the face of treatment uncertainty. Professional activities are clinically focused, with limited time assigned for research. Australian doctors perceive little reward for trial participation and claim that the opinions of referring doctors regarding RCTs does not influence them. Predictors of favourable attitudes to trial participation from the survey were time allocation for research, a history of referring patients to trials in the past and younger age (all p values less than 0.0001). Parents� attitudes to children�s participation in randomised controlled trials (focus group research) When parents were interviewed, they acknowledged balancing risks and benefits when deciding about trial participation for their child. Perceived benefits include the offer of hope, better care of their child, the opportunity to access new treatments, healthcare professionals and health information, meeting others in similar circumstances and helping others. Perceived risks include potential side effects, being randomised to ineffective treatments and the inconvenience of participation. The decision for trial participation is also influenced by parental factors (parents� knowledge, beliefs and emotional response), child factors (the child�s health status and preference about participation), trial factors (the use of placebos and the uncertainties of research) and doctor factors (doctor�s recommendations and communication of trial information). Conclusions There are many challenges to the successful conduct of RCTs. Ways of addressing these include: using effective methods of recruiting potential study participants (such as mailing of recruitment material to potential participants) and abandoning ineffective strategies (such as community methods): fostering greater willingness for trial participation by addressing parents� and paediatricians� concerns including enhancing communication between researchers, paediatricians and parents, and improving the gains-hazard balance (by increasing incentives while decreasing inconveniences); and reforming in the health care system to raise the priority placed on clinical research by restructuring clinical research in a clinically predominant workplace and with a clinically predominant workforce. The findings from this study have implications for researchers planning RCTs for children in the future. Careful consideration of the above will enhance RCTs participation for children improving efficiency, lowering costs and ultimately improving the future health care of children.

<p>The research area of recruitment utility analysis (RUA) models has</p><p>been somewhat unexplored for decades, and has earlier been reduced</p><p>to simplified mathematic formulas measuring only dollar term value.</p><p>The need for more dynamic models and theories surrounding the area</p><p>has been voiced numerous times, yet little has been done. The purpose</p><p>of this study was to highlight this need to encourage to further</p><p>research, and to examine the managerial perspective on RUA from a</p><p>semi explorative perspective. Eight interviews were conducted where</p><p>the managers received questions concerning the recruitment process</p><p>and the method used to conduct RUA. The results of this study</p><p>indicate somewhat unimpressed attitudes toward the added value of</p><p>conducting RUA. The reasons for not conducting</p><p>RUA were found to be due to time constraint, lack of skills and</p><p>managerial support. The majority of the RUA was found to be reactive</p><p>and based on gut feeling implying a need for proactive RUA hence</p><p>ensuring the value of the recruitment process.</p>

<p>Personlighetstester är en urvalsmetod som blivit vanligt förekommande vid re-krytering av ny personal inom ett flertal yrkeskategorier och branscher i Sveri-ge. Det är därför intressant att studera människors upplevelse av personlighets-test vid rekryteringssammanhang. Studiens syfte var att undersöka individers upplevelse av och förhållningssätt till personlighetstester under en rekryterings-process. Åtta deltagare valdes ut utifrån bekvämlighet och tre kriterier. Delta-garna skulle ha olika yrken, gjort ett personlighetstest under de senaste två åren och blivit anställda. Data samlades in genom halvstrukturerade intervjuer och analyserades tematiskt. Resultatet visade att flertalet av deltagarna upplevde personlighetstest som en lämplig urvalsmetod i kombination med intervjuer un-der en rekryteringsprocess. Företagets krav på arbetet, rekryternas bemötande, information och feedback hade stor inverkan på deltagarnas upplevelse av per-sonlighetstest. Key words: Personality test, Personality, Faking, Recruitment process. Inledning I dagens IT- och Servicesamhälle är människan företagens viktigaste resurs och konkurrens-medel. En ökad globalisering, teknologiskutveckling och nya sociala trender är företeelser som bidragit till att företag står inför nya utmaningar när det gäller att hitta och selektera ny personal (Lievens, van Dam & Anderson 2002; Mabon, 2002). Yrken försvinner helt, ändrar form eller nya tillkommer på arbetsmarknaden. I takt med utvecklingen, förändras kraven på vad företagen behöver för typ av kompetens och medarbetare. För dem som hanterar och till-sätter mänskliga resurser inom företag innebär detta att det ställs högre krav på användandet av bra metoder, för att kunna identifiera och anställa kompetenta framtida medarbetare. En av dessa metoder är personlighetstest som har blivit vanligt förekommande vid rekryteringspro-cesser inom flertalet branscher i Sverige (Mabon). Under de senaste 18 åren har ett stort antal studier visat att personligheten har stor betydelse för framgång inom arbetslivet (Sjöberg, 2000). Varje individ är unik, har olika egenskaper, erfarenheter, förutsättningar och är liksom företagen i ständig utveckling. Genom att mäta dessa olikheter och tillvarata dessa egenskaper kan de användas för att få ett bättre fungerade arbetsliv på företagen (Mabon). I föreliggande studie var syftet att undersöka användningen av personlighetstest vid rekrytering utifrån indi-videns perspektiv med fokus på upplevelse av och förhållningssätt till personlighetstest.</p>

<p>Cyanobacteria which can form resting cells (in this case akinetes) are common in meso-eutrophic lakes in temperate regions, often dominating the phytoplankton communities during summer. The life cycles of akinete-forming cyanobacteria has been studied with <i>Gloeotrichia echinulata</i> as a model organism. <i>Anabaena</i> and <i>Aphanizomenon</i> were also included in a migration study. The focus of this thesis has been the factors influencing the processes of germination and subsequent growth, the factors influencing migration from the sediment, and the amount of growth occurring in the water. </p><p>Germination of <i>G. echinulata</i> was strongly favoured by light, and recruitment was highest from organic-rich sediments in shallow, sheltered littoral areas, between 0-3 m. Recruitment of <i>Anabaena</i> and <i>Aphanizomenon</i> was less light dependent, yet the highest recruitment occurred from shallow sediments (0-2 m). This means that organic-rich sediments (0-3 m) in shallow areas are the most important seed-banks of akinete-forming cyanobacteria. The inocula contributed only to a minor extent to the maximum pelagic populations. 4% for <i>G. echinulata</i> in the mesotrophic Lake Erken, and 0.03% for both <i>Anabaena</i> and <i>Aphanizomenon</i> in the eutrophic Lake Limmaren. This implies that processes of growth and division in the water are important for the maximum size of the pelagic population. Prolonged recruitment from the sediment strongly promoted establishment of the species in the water, especially <i>G. echinulata</i>. </p>

Population replenishment through recruitment is an essential process for the long term viability of corals and their associated communities, particularly under increasing stresses that threaten their vitality. Although many researchers have identified specific factors that influence individual processes in the early life cycle of corals, few studies to date have attempted to determine the cumulative success of a cohort's progression through these stages in natural reef settings. Specifically, there is a paucity of knowledge regarding appropriate and realistic techniques to forecast the success of recruitment in natural settings, while taking into account both the individual and environmental factors that regulate these recruitment dynamics at local scales. Because of this need, the overall goals of this dissertation research were to (1) assess key life stage processes leading to recruitment - specifically, settlement and early post-settlement processes - for which previous knowledge was limited or absent; and (2) using this knowledge, develop a local-scale recruitment model that assessed the cumulative success of a cohort's progression through all the early life stages and identified those processes that had a strong relative influence on regulating recruitment dynamics. Focusing on the common western Atlantic brooding coral, Porites astreoides, this dissertation research was divided into three main sections to address the overall objectives: (1) identification and quantification of recruitment patterns in natural reef settings, in order to guide the development and testing of the recruitment model (Chapter 2); (2) assessment of the focal species' behaviors, survivorship rates, and factors affecting those rates during its progression through the primary early life stage processes (i.e., basic habitat preferences during the settlement stage, Chapter 3; early post-settlement survivorship, Chapters 4 and 5); and (3) development of a local recruitment model that accounted for the full complement of early life stage processes in a spatially-explicit simulation framework (Chapter 6). While unique study-specific insights were gained from each of the individual chapters, a few general insights emerged with respect to the overarching study objectives from this dissertation research. First, larval supply is a key driver for recruitment, where a high degree of larval loss, either through direct larval mortality or export from the reef, occurs prior to settlement on the substrate. Rates of loss were 96-99% in the model analyses, and as such represent the first major population bottleneck for this species and others with similar life histories. Compounding this larval loss is a second population bottleneck during the early post-settlement stage, where mortality was typically greater than 75% within the first week after settlement. Such high rates of loss have important implications for future population dynamics, as relatively minor changes to these rates of loss can have relatively strong influences on future dynamics. Second, habitat influences on recruitment were found to be relatively minimal when compared to high rates of mortality in both the larval supply and early post-settlement stages. Although the relative influence of habitat may be strong under unique situations where substantial space preemption limits settlement (e.g., high macroalgal cover, sedimentation, or adult coral cover), these effects may not be reflective of average systems. However, the influence of habitat may still be crucial for ensuring that the few individuals who survive the larval supply and the early post-settlement bottlenecks recruit into the future adult population, and these influences may interact with other density-dependent processes as adult cover increases. Overall, this research presents valuable and novel insights on a number of the under-studied early life stage processes. By identifying the key processes which regulate recruitment, this work highlights those stages whose responses to environmental change will have strong impacts on recruitment and subsequent population dynamics. In addition to the process-based insights gained on these dynamics, this work provides informative criteria for managers on the stages most responsive to conservation efforts aimed at promoting resilience and recovery.

<p>Introduction: </p><p>A job interview is for both the candidate and the company involved, an important</p><p>situation. It might be tempting for the candidate to adjust the answers to the job in question or what he</p><p>or she thinks the recruiter wants to hear. This behaviour is a part of what socialpsychology would call</p><p>impression management. This term means that you try to control the impressions you send out and</p><p>accordingly adjust your behaviour for the current situation.</p><p>Purpose: </p><p>Candidates usage of impression management is a widely debated subject where the</p><p>research mainly has focused on the candidates, their strategies and the efficiency of impression</p><p>management. Our purpose with this thesis is therefore to see how recruiters experience candidates</p><p>impression management in a job interview, how they handle it and what level of acceptance they have</p><p>for it.</p><p>Theoretical perspectives: </p><p>The theories and previous research used as models for explanation and</p><p>basis for discussion is mainly Erving Goffman´s (1974) dramaturgical perspective and thoughts about</p><p>impression management and Mark R Leary´s (1995) theories concerning impression management</p><p>tactics. In addition to these we also used more specific research concerning attribution, selfdescription</p><p>and problems with applicants use of impression management.</p><p>Methodology: </p><p>We carried out six qualitative semistructured interviews with recruiters from two</p><p>marketleading Swedish companies. The empirical foundation was analyzed through the method</p><p>concentration of meaning and thereafter put in relation to relevant theories and previous research.</p><p>Finally the empirical foundation was discussed on the basis of the thesis purpose.</p><p>Empirical foundation: The empirical foundation is mainly a description of the recruiters experiences</p><p>of different impression management tactics and their coping strategies. The result shows that there is</p><p>many different experiences of the various tactics and whether they are seen positive or negative is</p><p>dependent on which job it is and the candidates impression in general. The empirical foundation also</p><p>describes the recruiters thoughts about how a candidate carries out a successful interview and what</p><p>their interviewsituation looks like. The chapter ends with a description of which importance the</p><p>recruiters ascribe candidates usage of impression management.</p><p>Conclusions: </p><p>Our main conclusion is that even if the recruiters on direct questions concerning</p><p>different impression management tactics describe it as negative, the result shows that it often is seen</p><p>as a relevant social skill and something that is expected of a good candidate. We also think that the</p><p>recruiters are “unconciously aware” of the different impression management tactics. At first they show</p><p>no awarness concerning the tactics but after further discussions we found that they had several coping</p><p>strategies for them.</p>