Mentoring is defined as a reciprocal relationship between a less experienced individual (protégé) and a more experienced individual (mentor) that has consistent, regular contact over a period of time and is intended to promote mutual growth, learning, and development within the career context (Haggard, Dougherty, Turban & Wilbanks, 2011; Kram, 1985; Ragins & Kram, 2007). Inherent in this definition of mentoring is that individuals learn, develop, and grow from their mentoring interactions. Despite this, limited research explores the learning that occurs from mentoring relationships. The purpose of this study is to examine what mentors learn from mentoring experiences and how these experiences relate to mentor outcomes. The outcomes include mentoring self-efficacy, mentor behavioral change intentions, and mentor learning. I draw on the relational mentoring perspective (Ragins, 2012) and social learning theory (Bandura, 1971, 1977) to ground my hypotheses. My hypothesized model addresses three broad research questions: 1) What do mentors learn from their experiences with their protégés? 2) How do mentoring experiences relate to learning? and 3) Under what conditions do mentoring experiences relate to learning? I conducted a mixed methods study in an academic setting. My population included professors in North American doctoral granting universities and the PhD students they mentored. After identifying interested professors (mentors), I asked mentors to send study information to their PhD students (protégés). Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected via electronic survey. Surveys were time-lagged with three waves over a four month period. I found that mentors gained mentoring-specific, occupational-specific, and relational knowledge from mentoring their protégés. Additionally, mentors identified specific changes they wished to make to their mentoring behavior from their experiences with their protégés. I found that protégé positive role behavior and mentor positive psychosocial behavior were directly and positively related to career mentoring self-efficacy. Mentor positive career behavior was positively related to behavioral change intentions and protégé positive role behavior was positively related to relationship quality. I found that relationship quality did not mediate the relationship between role behaviors and mentor learning outcomes. Finally, I did not find support for the moderating effects of internal attribution for relationship quality, growth mindset, and feedback seeking. This study makes four specific contributions to the management field. First, research in mentoring often confounds relationship quality with behavior (e.g., Eby, Butts, Lockwood, & Simon, 2004; Eby, Durley, Evans, & Ragins, 2008) and outcomes (e.g., Eby, Butts, Durley, & Ragins, 2010; Ragins, 2012). By studying role behaviors, relationship quality, and mentor learning outcomes as distinct constructs, I provide clarity and an avenue for future mentoring research. Second, this study contributes to the mentoring literature by demonstrating what and how mentors learn from mentoring experiences. A significant contribution of this study is the identification of three types of mentor learning and behavioral change intentions. Third, I examined the theoretical explanation for mentoring role behaviors and mentor learning outcomes. Whereas I found that relationship quality did not explain the relationship between role behaviors and mentor learning, leader-member exchange provides a promising avenue for future research. Finally, I introduced mentoring self-efficacy as an important outcome of positive mentoring relationships, with mentors experiencing increased self-efficacy through positive experiences with their protégés.

Social media is increasingly being used by business-to-business (B2B) firms to engage with their customers as they seek to maintain and grow their relationship with their customers. In my dissertation, I examine what communication objectives B2B firms seek to achieve via social media at different stages of the relationship cycle (exploration, expansion, maturity). I then use a panel of social media experts to evaluate the social media efforts of these firms to determine how well these firms achieve their social media objectives. I then contrast how the social media communication objectives of these firms at different stages of the relationship line up with what academic literature suggests as being the most appropriate at the given stage of the relationship and thus highlight the gaps between theory and practice.

<p>Due to the more and more fierce competition in today’s business, many companies are required to build long-term profitable relationship with customers and to achieve customer loyalty. Therefore, relationship marketing has become more and more important since last decade of 20th century, especially in service industry. There are many different relationship marketing tactics implemented for retaining customer. However, some of those tactics did not affect customer loyalty effectively, and switching behaviors frequently occur among most of targeted customers. Therefore, this study is aimed to investigate the impact of relationship marketing tactics on customer satisfaction and trust, which in turn increase customer loyalty, by focusing on Swedish mobile telecommunication sector. A analytical model is developed as a guildline to test the relationships between relationship marketing tactics, relationship quality (trust and satisfaction) and customer loyalty. </p><p>a quantitative method with deductive approach are chosen in this research. In order to collect primary data, a self-completed questionnaire is designed and randomly sent out by email to the students in Halmstad University. The SPSS for windows is used to process the primary data. The findings shows that Service Quality, Price Perception, and Value Offers have impact on customer loyalty indirectly via the customer satisfaction and trust. Brand image is positively and directly related to customer loyalty. However, switching costs is found to be less correlation with customer loyalty, as well as satisfaction and trust in Sweden telecommunication industry.</p>

<p>Syftet med uppsatsen var att undersöka om ansiktsattraktivitet hänger samman med kvalitet i vänskapsrelationer. Hypotesen utgick ifrån att likhet i ansiktsattraktivitet påverkar valet av viktigaste vän samt att en låg skillnad i ansiktsattraktivitet mellan personerna gynnar relationskvaliteten. Tidigare forskning har antingen undersökt attraktivitet eller vänskapsrelationer. Vår uppsats knyter samman dessa två faktorer. 150 tonårspojkars ansiktsattraktivitet bedömdes med hjälp av ett eget utformat instrument. Data på pojkarnas vänskapsrelationer från en longitudinell studie användes för jämförelser. Högt skattad ansiktsattraktivitet visade i vår studie ha ett samband med konflikter i vänskapsrelationen. Attraktiviteten visade sig inte spela någon roll i valet av viktigaste vän. Däremot har attraktiviteten en betydelse för vänskapskvaliteten, då hög ansiktsattraktivitet påverkar vänskapskvaliteten negativt.</p> / <p>The purpose of this thesis was to investigate if facial attractiveness and quality in relationships are connected. The hypothesis was that equality in facial attractiveness matters in people’s choices of important friends and that low difference in facial attractiveness between the people profits quality in their friendship. Earlier research has either been focusing on attractiveness or quality in friendships. This thesis links these two factors together. The facial attractiveness of 150 teenage boys was judged with an instrument made by us. Data, with information about the boys’ relationships, from a longitudinal study were used for comparisons. We found that high facial attractiveness is related to conflicts in friendships, but that attractiveness does not matter in the choice of important friends. However, attractiveness does matter in friendship quality, since high attractiveness affects the quality in a negative way.</p>

<p>Neuroticism and partner relationship quality are associated with happines. A Swedish longitudinal project was utilized to examine whether these two aspects together determine happiness. Adolescent neuroticism was measured at age 15 witht he High School Personality Questionnaire (HSPQ). Measurements of neurotic manifestations were adminstered at ages 15-18. Adult neuroticism was measured at age 37 using the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-I). Measures of partner relationship quality and happiness were also administered. An adolescent neurotic dimension and partner relationship quality were related to happiness. Overall, neuroticism appears to be a better predictor of happiness with both direct and indirect effects through the influence on partner relationship quality.</p> / <p>Neuroticism och partnerrelationens kvalitet är två aspekter relaterade till människans livsglädje. Data från ett svenskt longitudinalprojekt användes för att undersöka om dessa tillsammans verkar avgörande för livsglädjen. Ungdomsneuroticism mättes vid 15 års ålder genom High School Personality Questionnaire (HSPQ). Neurotiska manifestationer mättes också mellan 15 och 18 års ålder. Den vuxnes neuroticism mättes sedan vid 37 års ålder med Eysencks Personality Questionnaire (EQP-I). Partnerrelationens kvalitet och livsglädje användes som utfallsmått. En neurotisk dimension från adolescensen och partnerrelationens kvalitet i vuxen ålder var relaterad till livsglädjen. Totalt sett tycks ungdomsneuroticism vara en av de tydligaste förutsägelserna för livsglädjen; dels genom direkt påverkan och dels genom indirekt påverkan via partnerreltionens kvalitet.</p>

Syftet med uppsatsen var att undersöka om ansiktsattraktivitet hänger samman med kvalitet i vänskapsrelationer. Hypotesen utgick ifrån att likhet i ansiktsattraktivitet påverkar valet av viktigaste vän samt att en låg skillnad i ansiktsattraktivitet mellan personerna gynnar relationskvaliteten. Tidigare forskning har antingen undersökt attraktivitet eller vänskapsrelationer. Vår uppsats knyter samman dessa två faktorer. 150 tonårspojkars ansiktsattraktivitet bedömdes med hjälp av ett eget utformat instrument. Data på pojkarnas vänskapsrelationer från en longitudinell studie användes för jämförelser. Högt skattad ansiktsattraktivitet visade i vår studie ha ett samband med konflikter i vänskapsrelationen. Attraktiviteten visade sig inte spela någon roll i valet av viktigaste vän. Däremot har attraktiviteten en betydelse för vänskapskvaliteten, då hög ansiktsattraktivitet påverkar vänskapskvaliteten negativt. / The purpose of this thesis was to investigate if facial attractiveness and quality in relationships are connected. The hypothesis was that equality in facial attractiveness matters in people’s choices of important friends and that low difference in facial attractiveness between the people profits quality in their friendship. Earlier research has either been focusing on attractiveness or quality in friendships. This thesis links these two factors together. The facial attractiveness of 150 teenage boys was judged with an instrument made by us. Data, with information about the boys’ relationships, from a longitudinal study were used for comparisons. We found that high facial attractiveness is related to conflicts in friendships, but that attractiveness does not matter in the choice of important friends. However, attractiveness does matter in friendship quality, since high attractiveness affects the quality in a negative way.

Due to the more and more fierce competition in today’s business, many companies are required to build long-term profitable relationship with customers and to achieve customer loyalty. Therefore, relationship marketing has become more and more important since last decade of 20th century, especially in service industry. There are many different relationship marketing tactics implemented for retaining customer. However, some of those tactics did not affect customer loyalty effectively, and switching behaviors frequently occur among most of targeted customers. Therefore, this study is aimed to investigate the impact of relationship marketing tactics on customer satisfaction and trust, which in turn increase customer loyalty, by focusing on Swedish mobile telecommunication sector. A analytical model is developed as a guildline to test the relationships between relationship marketing tactics, relationship quality (trust and satisfaction) and customer loyalty. a quantitative method with deductive approach are chosen in this research. In order to collect primary data, a self-completed questionnaire is designed and randomly sent out by email to the students in Halmstad University. The SPSS for windows is used to process the primary data. The findings shows that Service Quality, Price Perception, and Value Offers have impact on customer loyalty indirectly via the customer satisfaction and trust. Brand image is positively and directly related to customer loyalty. However, switching costs is found to be less correlation with customer loyalty, as well as satisfaction and trust in Sweden telecommunication industry.

Neuroticism and partner relationship quality are associated with happines. A Swedish longitudinal project was utilized to examine whether these two aspects together determine happiness. Adolescent neuroticism was measured at age 15 witht he High School Personality Questionnaire (HSPQ). Measurements of neurotic manifestations were adminstered at ages 15-18. Adult neuroticism was measured at age 37 using the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-I). Measures of partner relationship quality and happiness were also administered. An adolescent neurotic dimension and partner relationship quality were related to happiness. Overall, neuroticism appears to be a better predictor of happiness with both direct and indirect effects through the influence on partner relationship quality. / Neuroticism och partnerrelationens kvalitet är två aspekter relaterade till människans livsglädje. Data från ett svenskt longitudinalprojekt användes för att undersöka om dessa tillsammans verkar avgörande för livsglädjen. Ungdomsneuroticism mättes vid 15 års ålder genom High School Personality Questionnaire (HSPQ). Neurotiska manifestationer mättes också mellan 15 och 18 års ålder. Den vuxnes neuroticism mättes sedan vid 37 års ålder med Eysencks Personality Questionnaire (EQP-I). Partnerrelationens kvalitet och livsglädje användes som utfallsmått. En neurotisk dimension från adolescensen och partnerrelationens kvalitet i vuxen ålder var relaterad till livsglädjen. Totalt sett tycks ungdomsneuroticism vara en av de tydligaste förutsägelserna för livsglädjen; dels genom direkt påverkan och dels genom indirekt påverkan via partnerreltionens kvalitet.

The purpose of the current study is determine if the presence of a natural mentor, and/or the quality of relationship within protégé-mentor relationships, predicts the development of Future Orientation (FO) among African American girls living in conditions of risk. A sample of 160 girls of African descent was recruited from 6 elementary and middle schools. An exploratory factor analysis of 19 FO items suggested a 2-factor model consisting of (1) motivation and (2) planning. The model did not support the third expected factor, evaluation. The presence of natural mentors failed to predict concurrent levels of FO. Relationship quality did significantly predict concurrent levels of FO. Post-hoc analyses indicated that the consistent presence of a natural mentor predicted the development of FO. Post-hoc analyses also indicated the relationship quality with one’s, significantly predicted the development of FO among consistently mentored girls. Methodological limitations and implications for future research are discussed.

Program evaluations are increasingly assessing the impact of treatment delivery and program processes on outcomes. The current study examined the effects of program fidelity, measured across various dimensions, and relationship quality on behavior change and knowledge gained outcomes in 241 middle and high school students who were participating in Expect Respect, an evidence-based dating violence prevention program. Cross-level, hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analyses found that program fidelity was not a significant predictor of participant outcomes. However, main effects for relationship quality were present for the knowledge gained outcome measure. Subsequent cross-level interactions provided further support for the importance of relationship quality in prevention program outcomes.