Objectives: Theoretical models have helped conceptualise how individuals appraise and make sense of chronic illness and its psychological impact. Little attention has been given to the impact of uncertainty on this process. The objective was to investigate the relationship between levels of uncertainty, illness representations, coping, psychological and physical functioning in two chronic illnesses. The Self-Regulatory Model (SRM, Leventhal, Meyer & Nerenz, 1980) was used as a theoretical framework. Design: A cross-sectional design was used. It was hypothesised that a clear medical diagnosis would reduce levels of uncertainty and increase illness representations regarding control of symptoms. It was also hypothesised that high levels of uncertainty would independently predict increased psychological distress. Method: Patients suffering from chronic spinal pain and rheumatoid arthritis were recruited from local clinical departments. The levels of uncertainty, illness representations, coping strategies, mood and physical functioning of 85 participants were assessed using standardised questionnaires. Results: Chronic pain patients were found to have greater levels of uncertainty and psychological distress than rheumatoid arthritis patients. Rheumatoid arthritis patients had stronger beliefs about control of their condition. Uncertainty was not found to be a significant independent predictor of anxiety or depression. However, there appeared to be a degree of overlap between the variables of uncertainty and control beliefs. Conclusions: The findings highlight a complex relationship between the aspects of the SRM and uncertainty, with many components impacting on each other. Although levels of uncertainty were not found to be predictive of psychological distress, it is an area that warrants further investigation in order to understand how patients manage uncertainty. Within a clinical setting, issues of uncertainty should be addressed at all levels of care, maximising the patient's control beliefs, reducing the impact of uncertainty on their cognitive, emotional and physical functioning.

No description available.

The corporate world has become increasingly unpredictable and complex. Several companies are dependent on a rapidly developing market. The development has created a positive impact on production but on working conditions it has resulted in increased work pace and load. Psychosocial and stress-related problems has increased. The development has also meant a greater awareness of work environment issues relevant to competition for customers and employees. The committee directive 2008:129, Marknadsorienterade styrmedel på arbetsmiljöområdet, describes the desire and the need to engender a more positive and aggressive treatment in the Swedish work environment policy. In addition to preventing poor work environment it will develop the working environment, develop individuals, been seen as a competitive weapon, and a success factor. On this basis, investigations, SOU 2009:40 and SOU 2009:97, were conducted. As a result of these a pilot of a new regulatory model in Sweden are tested.The study will examine regulatory model, how it works in the current situation and how the proposal that emerged during the years 2009, changes the regulatory model to the type of model that Denmark applies. The systematic work has importance for the supervision on a daily basis. The purpose is to create a good working environment and enforce the law. Therefore, its function and purpose of supervision is discussed. The majority opinions from Swedish social partners is most critical of the introduction, they are of interest in the study and are therefore presented. The study is being conducted from a legal dogmatic and analytical method. The findings of this study is critical to the implementation of the proposals. The reason lies in deficiencies in the investigations, the costs and the social partners' opinions. The positive incentives that the proposals presents does not weigh up for the deficiencies identified. The study also focuses on the importance of proper systematic work and its relationship to a more effective supervision. The key to this is described in the study as increased knowledge and advice in the work area both during education but also in the practical work in organizations. Instead of a new regulatory model should the current model be developed and can then create the desired effect on the labor market.

This thesis develops the Effects of Power Model to explain why some power users come to behave in anti-social ways and what can be done about it. The model shares an analytical focus on the effect of the exercise of power on the power user with the Metamorphic Model of Power (Kipnis, 1976), but overcomes limitations in the Metamorphic Model by using the integrating framework of Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1986). This theory guided the identification of the Effects of Power Model's main variables and their relationships, and provides a powerful framework for designing normative applications based on those variables and relationships. The Effects of Power Model describes a self-regulatory process which begins with a consideration by the power user of whether and what type of power or influence tactic he or she should use. To make the decision, the power user considers both internal standards and experiences (either vicariously gained or directly). Having acted, the power user then evaluates his or her action against both feedback and internal standards. If evaluation indicates that the action was contrary to either internal standards and/or to expected outcomes, there are two possible reactions. One is to feel bad and to plan to choose another course of action in future. The other is to rationalise the action through the use of disengagement mechanisms. The latter enables the power user to excuse his or her action and maintain a commitment to the action in the future. Over time, repeated use of disengagement mechanisms to excuse behaviour leads to a change in internal standards and to a rising commitment to the behaviour. The model's descriptive power is tested using a two-stage laboratory experiment with between subject manipulations and random allocation of subjects. A range of analytical frameworks are used to test the data including correlation, regression and Chi square analyses. Results strongly support the model. The model's prescriptive power is also considered by developing a program to enhance pro-social behaviour among power users, particularly professionals. Examples are identified that support key propositions of the model, relating to how the circumstances of professionals may influence their anti-social behaviour and how changes in circumstances could promote pro-social behaviour.

Objectives: Psoriasis is a long-term inflammatory condition associated with considerable psychological and social morbidity. There are multiple psoriasis treatment modalities and regimens making medication adherence particularly demanding. The Self-Regulatory Framework has not been widely applied to investigate adherence by people with psoriasis. This thesis reports research into psychological factors associated with medication adherence in psoriasis. Methods: A systematic review of adherence to treatments (Phase 1) was followed by a qualitative investigation of measures of adherence and treatment beliefs (Phase 2). A large-scale multisite quantitative survey of levels and determinants of adherence to systemic psoriasis treatments was carried out by linking new psychological measures with data from a national treatment registry (Phase 3). Finally a mixed-methods investigation into self- regulatory approaches to the understanding of adherence was undertaken (Phase 4). Findings: i) Adherence difficulties are prevalent in psoriasis, however poor methodology quality of previous studies limited conclusions of the systematic review ii) Patients using topical preparations described significant day-to-day variations in medication use as well as complex treatment decision-making processes; however, key behaviours and cognitions were not accurately reflected by corresponding scores of the standardised scales iii) Patients using systemic treatments reported high levels of adherence which were associated with: biologic rather than a traditional systemic; fewer concerns about systemic treatments; and lower PASI and DLQI scores. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviours were also prevalent iv) Effective treatment usage in psoriasis conflicted with the management of the physical and psychological demands of living with psoriasis. For patients using topical preparations, non-adherence was a strategic decision to reduce distress and gain control. Patients using systemic treatments expressed strong beliefs in the necessity of their treatment, yet reported high levels of anxiety and depression. Systemic treatment usage conflicted with the management of illness controllability and psychological adjustment. A more negative illness belief profile and greater appearance concerns accounted for the most variance in both anxiety and depression, even after controlling for disease severity. These findings have major implications for the measurement of adherence and treatment beliefs, as well as researchers’ ability to determine clinical outcomes and treatment response. Conclusions: Psoriasis treatment adherence can be practically challenging as well as emotionally charged. The construct of self-regulatory failure proved to be illuminating and improves understanding of the psychological processes that underpin medicines adherence and other aspects of self- management in people with psoriasis.

This thesis addresses the question of how data protection law should respond to the challenges arising from the ever-increasing prevalence of big data. The investigation is conducted with the case study of online behavioural advertising (OBA) and within the EU data protection legal framework, especially the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It is argued that data protection law should respond to the big data challenges by leveraging the regulatory options that are either already in place in the current legal regime or potentially available to policymakers. With the highly complex, powerful and opaque OBA network, in both technical and economic terms, the use of big data may pose fundamental threats to certain individualistic, collective or societal values. Despite a limited number of economic benefits such as free access to online services and the growth of the digital market, the latent risks of OBA call for an effective regulatory regime on big data. While the EU's GDPR represents the latest and most comprehensive legal framework regulating the use of personal data, it has still fallen short on certain important aspects. The regulatory model characterised by individualised consent and the necessity test remains insufficient in fully protecting data subjects as autonomous persons, consumers and citizens in the context of OBA. There is thus a pressing need for policymakers to review their regulatory toolbox in the light of the potential threats. On the one hand, it is necessary to reconsider the possibilities to blacklist or whitelist certain data uses with mechanisms that are either in place in the legal framework or can be introduced additionally. On the other hand, it is also necessary to realise the full range of policy options that can be adopted to assist individuals in making informed decisions in the age of big data.

The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the application of generally accepted methods for business valuation within the environment of a price regulated business and to draw up an alternative approach for market value estimation. The thesis contains also application example of the proposed approach (regulatory model) applied on shareholder's equity valuation process.

L’estimation des déformations différées, en particulier dans le cas des Béton à Hautes Performances (BHP) destinés aux ouvrages d’art, est primordiale pour prédire les flèches, les redistributions des contraintes dans les structures hyperstatiques et les pertes de précontrainte dans des éléments en béton précontraint. L’expérience montre néanmoins une dispersion certaine des valeurs de déformations instantanées et différées mesurées et des écarts non négligeables avec les valeurs calculées selon les règlements de dimensionnement.L’objectif de ce travail de thèse est de s’intéresser à un paramètre non pris en compte dans les règlements qui pourrait être à l’origine des imprécisions de leurs prédictions : le gravillon. Le programme expérimental s’articulera autour d’une étude comparative des comportements mécaniques instantanés et différés sans charge, retrait, et sous charge, fluage, de six BHP de même formulation de base (rapport E/L, volume de pâte), se différenciant principalement par le type de gravillon. A partir de cette base de données complétée par des analyses mécaniques et physico-chimiques sur les granulats, des paramètres influents liés au type de gravillon incorporé ont été détectés. Des comparaisons avec les estimations des modèles actuels tels que l'Eurocode 2 ont également été réalisées et ont montré des différences notables avec les valeurs expérimentales.Des analyses microstructurales ont été menées afin d'identifier l'état de la microstructure et du réseau poreux des matériaux, plus particulièrement à l'interface pâte-granulat (Interfacial Transition Zone ITZ). L'étude de l’ensemble des résultats a permis d’établir des corrélations entre le comportement mécanique et les analyses microstructurales. Une synthèse des données récoltées durant ce travail de recherche montre que le gravillon a une influence non négligeable sur les comportements mécaniques instantané et différé à travers différents paramètres de degré d'influence variable / The prediction of the time-dependent deformations, particularly in the case of high performance concrete (HPC) envisioned for bridges is essential for predicting the deflections, the stress distribution in statically indeterminate structures and the loss of pre-stressing force in elements of pre-stressed concrete. However, the experience shows a certain dispersion of values of instantaneous and delayed deformations measured and some significant differences with the values calculated using the building codes.The objective of the present thesis work focuses on the coarse aggregate parameter which is not taken into account in building codes, which could causes the inaccuracies of their predictions. The experimental program includes a comparative study of the mechanical behaviours (instantaneous and delayed), shrinkage, creep, of six HPC with the same basic formulation (water cement ratio, volume of paste), differing principally in the type of coarse aggregate. From this database and thanks to the mechanical and physicochemical analyses of the aggregates, some influent parameters related to the type of the coarse aggregate were detected. The comparisons with estimations of standard models such as Eurocode 2 were also performed and showed significant differences with the experimental values.Micro-structural analyses were carried out in order to identify the state of the microstructure and the porosity of materials, more particularly at the interface between the cement paste and the coarse aggregate (Interfacial Transition Zones ITZ). The study of the results made it possible to establish correlations between the mechanical behaviour and the micro-structural analyses. A synthesis of the data collected during this research work shows that the coarse aggregate has a considerable influence on the mechanical behaviours (instantaneous and delayed) through various parameters from variable degree of influence

[pt] No setor elétrico brasileiro, o modelo regulatório é o mecanismo pelo qual se mantém o equilíbrio de interesses das organizações que atuam neste setor e, este se dá, a partir do balanceamento entre a sua racionalidade interna e o seu ambiente externo, para assim proporcionar condições favoráveis a produção, transmissão e distribuição de energia, e, para o benefício da sociedade. O objetivo principal desta dissertação é apontar como a dinâmica dos atores atuantes no setor elétrico - os consumidores, agência reguladora, empresas distribuidoras, transmissoras e geradoras de energia - e de que forma como estes atores respondem ao modelo regulatório proposto, seja criando obstáculos, seja facilitando a institucionalização de tal modelo. Conforme definido, o objeto de estudo escolhido foi o caso das empresas distribuidoras de energia por se tratar de um caso que possui características particulares no setor. A pesquisa realizada envolveu entrevistas com representantes dos variados conjuntos de atores pertencentes ao campo do setor elétrico e, os sentimentos captados acabaram por enfatizar as influências negativas da dinâmica dos atores na forma com que as distribuidoras respondem ao modelo regulatório. Entre os mecanismos institucionais que foram reconhecidos e analisados no comportamento dos atores está o isomorfismo institucional, as inconstâncias do modelo regulatório, estruturação tardia do campo e relações de poder que privilegiam interesses particulares em detrimento do campo. Diante destes resultados, a conclusão do estudo aponta que um modelo regulatório ótimo só poderá ser alcançado a partir do êxito da agência reguladora, o que, por sua vez, depende, do fortalecimento da cultura de regulação no campo do setor elétrico que, lhe permita ter autonomia e legitimidade. / [en] In the Brazilian electric sector, the regulatory model is the mechanism through which it s keep the interest equilibrium of all organizations that operates in this sector and, this happens, from the balance between its internal rationality and external environment, thus to provide favorable conditions to the production, transmission and distribution of energy, and, for the benefit of the society. The main objective of this dissertation is to point how the dynamics between the actors in the electric sector - the consumers, regulatory agency, distribution, transmission and generation companies of energy - influence the form that they respond to the regulatory model proposed, either creating obstacles, either facilitating the institutionalization of that model. As defined, the case study was the electric distribution companies because this case possess particular characteristics in the sector. The carried research involved interviews with a joint varied of representatives actors of the electric sector field, and the feelings caught had emphasized the negative influences of the actors dynamics in the form that the distribution companies answer to the regulatory model. Among the institutional mechanisms that were recognized and had been analyzed in the actors behavior, it is the institutional isomorphism, the inconstancy of the regulatory model and the field delayed structuration and the power relations of privileging particular interests in detriment of the field. From these results, the study conclusion points that an optimum regulatory model will only be reached with the success of the regulatory agency, what, in turn, depends on the strongness of the regulatory culture on the electric sector field that will allow them to have autonomy and legitimacy.

Submitted by ENEIDA CARDOSO DE BRITTO CORRÊA (eneidabsb@uol.com.br) on 2015-10-25T18:59:34Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTACAO - ENEIDA CORRÊA - VERSAO FINAL EM 24-10-2015 - Biblioteca FGV.pdf: 1561331 bytes, checksum: 9fc918f865ac3cdb4a978999246f0cf4 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by ÁUREA CORRÊA DA FONSECA CORRÊA DA FONSECA (aurea.fonseca@fgv.br) on 2015-11-10T18:13:26Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTACAO - ENEIDA CORRÊA - VERSAO FINAL EM 24-10-2015 - Biblioteca FGV.pdf: 1561331 bytes, checksum: 9fc918f865ac3cdb4a978999246f0cf4 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marcia Bacha (marcia.bacha@fgv.br) on 2015-11-12T11:41:53Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTACAO - ENEIDA CORRÊA - VERSAO FINAL EM 24-10-2015 - Biblioteca FGV.pdf: 1561331 bytes, checksum: 9fc918f865ac3cdb4a978999246f0cf4 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-11-12T11:42:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTACAO - ENEIDA CORRÊA - VERSAO FINAL EM 24-10-2015 - Biblioteca FGV.pdf: 1561331 bytes, checksum: 9fc918f865ac3cdb4a978999246f0cf4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-09-18 / Over the last twenty years, we have noticed the entry of profit-seeking private entities into the higher education field, motivated and induced by decisions on education policies aiming at the ideal of access to education combined with social inclusion. Therefore, private institutions established a new model of Higher Education focusing on Market, creating opportunities for the segment to grow outside of an economic regulatory procedure. Currently, the possibilities of approaching for regulation on economic sectors have been expanded, also on formats that aren’t necessarily the standard for autonomous agencies, making it possible for there to be entities which are similar to regulatory agencies, and therefore possessing regulatory function, such as the Ministry of Education and its supervised regional authorities. The so called qualitative social regulation - the offer of positions and authorization of courses - proves to be insufficient to arrange and articulate agents’ actions, in a regulatory environment of increasing social and economic complexity. The hybrid regulatory model of private schools suggests articulating/combining the well established yardsticks for social regulation with the principles of economic regulation, in a new form of regulatory approach which gathers the following dimensions: economic fundaments; implementation of public policies divided by sector, region and purpose; institutional planning that prioritizes new guidelines to the entry and maintenance on the Federal System of Education - authorizations and registrations; supervision and control; prospection, evaluation, and accountability - and access of higher education institutions to programmatic public policies, of general character, assuring public interest, effectiveness, quality, competitiveness and the social value on Private Higher Education. Key-words: private higher education; social and economic regulation; Market; Third sector; hybrid regulatory model. / Nos últimos vinte anos observamos a entrada de entidades privadas com fins lucrativos no meio educacional de nível superior, motivada e induzida por decisões de políticas educacionais na busca do ideal do acesso ao ensino combinado com a inclusão social. Assim, instituições privadas estabeleceram um novo modelo 'em construção' de Educação Superior focado em Mercado, criando oportunidades para que tal segmento crescesse à margem de um processo regulatório econômico. Atualmente as possibilidades de abordagens regulatórias ampliaram-se, sendo plenamente admitido regulação em setores econômicos, e sob formatos que não sejam, necessariamente, o modelo de agências autônomas, podendo existir entidades similares às agências reguladoras, órgãos ou entidades dotadas de função regulatória, como no caso do Ministério da Educação e suas entidades supervisionadas - autarquias. A chamada regulação social qualitativa - oferta de vagas e autorização de cursos - mostra-se insuficiente para ordenar e articular a ação dos atores, num ambiente regulatório crescente em complexidade social e econômica. O modelo regulatório híbrido da ES privada propõe articular/combinar os já consagrados parâmetros da regulação social com os princípios e parâmetros da regulação econômica, numa nova forma de abordagem regulatória que agregue as seguintes dimensões: fundamentos econômicos; implementação de políticas públicas setorizadas, regionalizadas e indutoras; desenho institucional que priorize novas diretrizes para a entrada e manutenção no Sistema Federal de Ensino - autorizações e credenciamentos; fiscalização e controle; prospecção, avaliação; e accountability - e, acesso das IES às Políticas Públicas Programáticas, de caráter geral, assegurando o interesse público, a efetividade, a competitividade, a qualidade e o valor social no Ensino Superior Privado.